KINGSTON, Jamaica — 

Surreal! That was the only word American disc jock, DJ Cassidy could muster up as he tried to describe the once in a lifetime moment shared with dancehall and reggae royalty on Saturday. The internationally renowned DJ was making his maiden visit to the island for the viewing party of his critically acclaimed Pass The Mic series aired on BET.

Dubbed the Reggae edition, the musical showcase saw some of Jamaica’s biggest names delivering spectacular performances to fly the black, green and gold, in extraordinary fashion on American mainstream TV. It was hard to contain the national pride one felt watching acts such as Sister Nancy, Tanto Metro and Devonte, Nadine Sutherland, Patra, and company serve up one timeless dancehall classic after the other.

For DJ Cassidy, it was a full circle moment. Not only was this the first time in nine episodes of the Pass The Mic series that he was getting to share in the moment with the artistes on the show, but he was doing so on Jamaican soil.

“I am so overwhelmed right now, it’s hard to put anything into words. This is the first time in nine episodes that I have ever watched one of the instalments with the artistes. To be standing next to Tanto Metro and Devonte and Patra and Nadine Sutherland and Terror Fabulous and Junior Reid while watching them on the show, it’s a very surreal experience,” he told OBSERVER ONLINE.

“I have been a fan of Reggae and Dancehall music since as far back as I can remember. I grew up listening to Hip-Hop and Hip-Hop introduced me to dancehall. Having never been to Jamaica and now coming for the first time and this being the experience, what an introduction. I could not have asked for a better first experience,” he added. 

“Who gets to come to Kingston for the first time and party and celebrate a milestone with reggae legends while watching the reaction of the people. That was priceless I am so happy I came. Watching the artistes and other people here tonight react to the show in real time was mind blowing.”

The 30-minute televised show which followed BET‘s 2022 NAACP [National Association for the Advancement of Colored People] Image Awards, was a musical showcase. The performances were short and spicy and just enough to take one down the road of nostalgia.

With veterans such as Chaka Demus and Pliers, Barrington Levy and Super Cat putting what is arguably Jamaica’s best musical era on full display, the entertainment package was nothing short of scintillating. Murder She Wrote, Everyone Falls In Love Sometimes, Action, Turn Me On, Romantic Call and Bam Bam were just some the singles that were sure to have had the Diaspora rocking in front of their TV sets.

Pietro Gramegna, marketing director of J Wray & Nephew Limited, owners of event title sponsor, Appleton told the OBSERVER ONLINE that when the opportunity came to be a part of BET’s Pass The Mic series, his team jumped at the chance as it was the ideal occasion to once again showcase the Jamaican culture on a global platform.

“Tonight was for us a great opportunity to be back supporting Jamaica going to the world. Appleton is about Jamaica excelling and so we wanted to really bring this vibe from Jamaica to the world,” he said. “We had the legends on the stage tonight so seeing DJ Cassidy with the rest of the Jamaican legends, gave us a great sense of pride. Jamaican music is powerful. I think Jamaican music is something that everyone knows in the world. I am coming from Italy and I have known Jamaican music since I was ten years old. I think still today it’s still evolving and inspiring music worldwide and is something we have to defend, protect and take to the next level.”