KINGSTON, Jamaica—When Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica on October 28, Sister Carol was among the millions of people abroad who followed the Category 5 monster’s destruction.

One month later, she saw firsthand its deadly path after visiting Falmouth, Trelawny and Montego Bay, St James.

Disturbed by the scenes of despair, the Grammy-nominated artiste will stage Royal Birthday Bash, a fundraising event, at Cultcha Palace in Brooklyn, New York, on January 17. It takes place two days after her birthday.

“With my birthday coming up, it makes sense to get some support for the people at this event. Every mickel makes a muckel. People can do whatever they can to help the people in Jamaica because the devastation is huge. We cannot refuse help when people are coming with their heart full of love,” Sister Carol told the Observer Online.

Trelawny and St James sustained significant damage from Hurricane Melissa’s 185 miles per hour winds. St Elizabeth, Westmoreland and Hanover also suffered devastation to homes, businesses and infrastructure, with 45 deaths recorded.

Sister Carol joins the list of Jamaican artistes contributing to the recovery effort. Many of her colleagues have visited areas affected by the hurricane, the most powerful to hit Jamaica since Hurricane Gilbert in September 1988.

“This birthday will be different from the others because of the hurricane. It’s a two-fold event to celebrate my birthday and use the occasion to raise funds for the victims. We love our country and we love humanity,” said Sister Carol. “Nothing of this magnitude has ever happened in my lifetime, so I’m compelled to reach out to the victims with some form of relief, hence the party.”

Kulture Kartel, Alistar Vaughn, Joseph Deminsion and the Tippatone sound system will also perform at the Royal Birthday Bash.

Sister Carol was born in West Kingston but migrated to the United States during the early 1970s. She settled in Brooklyn, New York, where her career started on sound systems later that decade.

-Howard Campbell