Andrea Bullens, founder and lead organiser of the Westchester Reggae Festival in New York, says extending the event’s time slot is one of her projections for the 2024 show.

The September 2 gig at Westchester County Center had Third World, Mikey Spice and Luciano as co-headliners. In an interview with OBSERVER ONLINE, Bullens described the production aspect as “a seamless execution”, but added that next time her team may go beyond four hours.

“The only disappointment we may have had is that we needed a little more time to make it a longer show. Even though we started at 8 (pm) and we had four full, packed hours of presentation, maybe next time we’ll start at 7:30,” she said.

Bullens reported that the fourth staging of the Westchester Reggae Festival attracted over 1,000 fans who came to enjoy “mature, clean fun”. She said each act delivered in a big way, led by Third World who are celebrating their 50th anniversary.

“The whole event was a highlight…Third World came out and gave a smashing performance. Mikey Spice followed, and I think he was the most anticipated of all three, and he delivered. And of course, Luciano, known for his vibrant presentation, did just that,” she said.

Mikey Spice and Luciano were backed by the Statement Band, led by veteran bassist Derrick Barnett.

The Westchester Reggae Festival was first held in August 2019 and featured Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt. COVID-19 forced a cancellation in 2020, but the event returned in November 2021 with jazz pianist Monty Alexander as special guest.

Griffiths returned last year, along with Leroy Sibbles and Johnny Osbourne

Howard Campbell