Words by Jesse Serwer—
Established by Protoje and Jason Panton of clothing brand I&I and Jamaican streetwear shop Base Kingston with the goal of initiating a live reggae revival in JA, Live from Kingston is a new, free music showcase spotlighting young and emerging Jamaican music talent. “It’s not a hype thing, it’s a music thing,” Jason tells us of the series, which launched in November with performances from Chronixx, Iba Mahr, Keida and Blu Kid. Performances are largely acoustic, with musicians such as Zinc Fence backing up performers.
Live from Kingston returns this Saturday to Base Kingston (located within Kingston’s Manor Park Plaza), with a bill including Romain Virgo and Kabaka Pyramid and newcomers Sezi, Mo-zhai and Zuri (a/k/a Zuri Lyric Marley, daughter of Ziggy Marley). Future installments of the “pop-up” event will be held in different venues in Kingston. Music, meanwhile, is not the whole draw, as the events also feature art and fashions from local Jamaican designers. Already gaining a reputation for bringing together Kingston’s tastemakers and musicians, Live from Kingston soon be expanded to include a website showcasing Live from Kingston-approved artists, and a CD compilation with live recordings from the shows, Jason tells us.
Don’t believe the hype? Watch some footage from Chronixx’s performance at last month’s Live from Kingston.
