COLOGNE, Germany—Music once again proved its power to unite and uplift as the Rise Up Jamaica benefit concert raised €45,000 or approximately J$8.5 million to support Jamaica’s recovery following the impact of Hurricane Melissa.

The concert, hosted at the Live Music Hall in Cologne and organised by the Summerjam Festival, brought together internationally recognised artistes with deep musical and cultural connections to Jamaica. The event was staged in solidarity with communities affected by the hurricane, with a special focus on St Elizabeth.

Every euro donated on the night was matched by the Summerjam Festival, significantly increasing the overall impact of the initiative. Marius Brozi of the Summerjam Festival said the decision to match every donation reflected the festival’s long-standing bond with Jamaica.

Marius Bronzi

He noted that Jamaica is not only central to the musical foundation of Summerjam, but deeply connected to its identity, culture and values, making the act of giving back both a responsibility and a privilege.

All proceeds will be channelled through Help Jamaica e.V. to support the rebuilding of Black River High School in St Elizabeth, which sustained severe damage during the hurricane.

The funding will help restore safe and stable learning conditions for students as quickly as possible.

In addition to the work at Black River High School, a portion of the funds raised will be used to provide targeted assistance to smaller schools in affected districts, contributing to the broader recovery of educational facilities across the region.

The Rise Up Jamaica concert featured performances by Gentleman, Bonez MC, Trettmann, Patrice, Kumar Fyah, Treesha, Inti and Milaa, and was made possible through the support of a range of partners including the Live Music Hall, AVL, RAD, Ivan Backstage Catering, Gizeh, and the participating artistes and DJs.