When widely recognised reggae singer Romain Virgo hosted the Kingston leg of his Gentleman tour in June last year, he knew he had to replicate the highly successful event when Mother’s Day rolled around.

With the annual celebration of mothers set for this Sunday, Virgo has called on the support of some of music’s most formidable forces to join him for a special showcase. The concert, dubbed Romain Virgo and Friends, is set to ignite the lawns of Hope Gardens, serenading mothers in a way only Virgo’s catalogue can.

“What gave birth to me doing a Mother’s Day show this year was doing the Kingston leg of the Gentleman concert last year on Father’s Day and seeing the love and support that the people showed, and just how pleased they were about the execution of the event, the quality of the entertainment, it was said that we would do the same for Mother’s Day,” he told the Jamaica Observer. “When it comes to Mother’s Day, I believe that there should be something special happening for them, and this is the perfect way, especially for someone like me who loves singing.”

Describing mothers as the backbone of any society, Virgo said he just wanted to ensure the day was special, and for him, that looks like an evening of classic hits from some of the industry’s best.

“Our mothers are the backbone of our families and the society and without them, many families wouldn’t survive. They are the centre of everything, and this is my way of showing them that we love and appreciate and want them to feel special. I linked up with some of my friends in the music business who are some of the most talented individuals and I said let’s do this for our mothers and they jumped at the idea,” he expressed. “I love singing for the ladies, and the love I have for not just my mother or the mother of my children but all mothers, I had to make it special.”

“Special” is also the word he used to describe the event’s line-up, pointing out that in addition to some talented up-and-coming singers, there will be performances from the likes of Sevana and Mortimer and several surprise guests.

“The line-up for this event is amazing. There are Tori Latore and Janeel Mills and they are two talented up-and-coming singers who will thrill come Sunday. They are young talents doing extremely well and we want to give them that platform to showcase that talent. But outside of them, we have Sevana and Mortimer, who are more seasoned and are perfect talents to kick-start the event itself,” he said. “Of course, we will have special guests, but we can’t give away too much. We have some very special guests and it’s making me wonder what I will do next time around.”

Speaking of next time, Virgo shared that he’s hoping to make the event an annual one.

“There are so many people who are part of this event who are just ready and willing to support whatever movement, and it’s a beautiful thing. It’s not about money for me either, it’s a bigger dream that I have to develop Romain Virgo and Friends into something that will happen both locally and internationally because we believe in it so much. I also want it to be staged all over the island, so this year we’re in Kingston, next year we want to be in Montego Bay or St Elizabeth, just somewhere central where other people who didn’t get the opportunity to come to Kingston will get the opportunity to see it,” he shared.

“As my career grows, it will get even more interesting. I believe with all my heart it will be successful. As artistes we all need to be doing something instead of waiting for someone to call us on a show, we have to try and help ourselves.”

Tickets to Romain Virgo and Friends are on sale at From Head to Fleek (2 Balmoral Avenue), Fontana Pharmacy (Waterloo and Barbican), and Fesco Gas station in Braeton, Greater Portmore, as well as online at romainvirgo.com. Tickets go for $6,000 per piece (pre-sold) and $8,000 at the gate. VIP will cost $10,000 pre-sold and $12,000 at the gate. Showtime will be at 8:00pm, but gates to the venue will be open at 5:00 pm.