CaribPR Wire

KINGSTON, Jamaica, June 29, 2006: The count down has begun to “Jamaica

June 1, 2006
 
For Immediate Release: TEMPO pulls up and brings you the long awaited ‘Pull Up Selecta,’ a new one-hour show debuting on Saturday, June 3rd at 9 P.M. EST and hosted by the one and only Jabba himself.
Each week, Jabba and a guest DJ will keep the pulse throbbing with only the hippest artists, rockin’ beats, and most dance worthy rhythms in Hip Hop, Reggae, and Dancehall music, all while kicking it in the latest, trendiest Caribbean duds to hit the streets.
In one hour, Jabba will give you Underground Riddims

  HOLLYWOOD, FL, Thurs. May 25, 2006:   The temperature in South Florida rose a lot higher on Wednesday, May 24 as Jamaica

NEW YORK, N.Y, May 24, 2006: Multiple Grammy winning reggae artist, Damian

Kingston Jamaica, May 17, 2006: Dancehall fans will have a huge bonanza on Wednesday July 19, when Summerfest Productions, promoters of Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest, stages “”Top Ranking,”" a show that will highlight the some of the best years of dancehall music.
Many artists, who have not appeared on stage at the world’s greatest reggae show in years, have signed on to be a part of this celebration of dancehall. Fans can look forward to performances from Peter Metro, General Trees, Courtney Melody, Frankie Paul, Admiral Bailey, Flourgan and Pinchers. The Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest Promoters expect many more stars from the 1990’s to cross the stage at the “”Top Ranking”" event, which will be staged club style at Pier One on the Waterfront. The event is a part of Summerfest Productions’ strategy of connecting with market demands.
Jomo Cato, director of marketing for Summerfest Productions, is very excited about the latest show, citing the importance of incorporating a solid dancehall line up in the Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest package.
“”The fans have asked for a night that really brings back the glory days of when the dancehall was full of vibes and this is the line up that will deliver this experience,”" Mr. Cato said. “”Peter Metro will grace the stage, the Cool ruler Gregory Isaacs Professor Nuts, Pam Hall, Admiral Bailey, General Trees and more, it will be quite entertaining. It was important for us to do a show that salutes the architects of dancehall but delivers high energy entertainment.”"
Summerfest Productions also announced that it would also present ‘The Reggae Sumfest Icon Award’ to a Jamaican entertainer at top Ranking, that has truly nurtured the growth of dancehall in the world.
“”The phenomenally talented persons who have shaped modern Jamaican music, have also helped to influence the sound of music across the entire planet, Summerfest Productions will be honoring, one of these persons this year, we will be making this announcement in a few weeks and paying the well deserved tribute through the presentation of the Reggae Sumfest Icon Award,”" Mr. Cato disclosed.
Maxine Whittingham, head of Communications at Red Stripe, the title sponsors for the event, said Red Stripe was enthused about the idea of incorporating deep-rooted dancehall music in the festival.
“”Red Stripe believes in the power of reggae and dancehall music, which are both inherent elements of the event. We are particularly excited about ‘Top Ranking’ because it gives us an opportunity to salute the Jamaican giants of dancehall on that night,”" Mrs. Whittingham said.
Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest will be staged in the ‘Vibes City’, Montego Bay from July 16-22 this year.
For travel packages and more information, log on to www.reggaesumfest.com.
 
   
Publicity
INTERNATIONAL: Felicia Persaud Carib PR 718 476 3616, email: [email protected]  

CaribPR Newswire, KINGSTON, Jamaica Mon. May 8, 2006: Young Barbadian singing sensation, Rihanna, will make her debut appearance in Jamaica at the world’s greatest reggae show, Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest. The beautiful and sultry eighteen-year-old will grace the reggae stage on Saturday July 22, the final night of the festival, dubbed ‘The Summit.”"
The catchy mixture of hand clapshandclaps and drum rhythms on Rihanna’s ‘Pon de Replay,’ was last summer’s party anthem. Already, her first hit off of her sophomore album, ‘SOS’ is being touted as the song of this summer. It jumped 33 spots to claim the top spot on the billboard Hot 100 this past week, fuelled in part by the downloads of the track being purchased by the hip 18- 24 year old market.
Rihanna has collaborated with Jamaica’s very own Elephant Man, Vybz Cartel and Sean Paul. Besides ripping traditional reggae tracks like a seasoned dancehall queen, the stunning Rihanna possesses a powerful singing voice that conjures up feelings and experiences way beyond her years. It is no wonder that all it took was a quick audition with Shawn “”Jay- Z”" Carter, President and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, for the green-eyed beauty to solidify a recording contract with the multi-million dollar record company.
Rihanna has since been creating waves in the music industry with her combination of hip hop, jazz, R&B and reggae, and is expected to deliver a smashing performance when she hits the Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest stage in the Vibes City, Montego Bay. Jomo Cato, director of marketing for Summerfest Productions, the promoters of the reggae festival, has been making no qualms about this year’s’ show, saying that it would be the biggest and best yet. He stands resolute that the inclusion of Rihanna in this year’s line up will contribute to achieving this.
“”Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest has each year brought together the very best and hottest that each genre of music has to offer, this year is no different, Rihanna will add her Caribbean flavoured R&B to the event and I am sure that the fans will enjoy every minute of her performance,”" Mr. Cato said.
Endorsing Mr. Cato’s comments, Carlo Redwood, Marketing Manager of Red Stripe, added, “”It is important when putting together a grand showcase of music such as this one that you have a myriad of artistes that are talented, entertaining and capable of holding the attention of a predominantly Jamaican crowd, Red Stripe believes that Rihanna falls in this category.”" Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest will be held from July 16- 22, 2006. Fans are urged to call their favorite travel agent to make reservations today or log on to www.reggaesumfest.com for more information.

The Caribbean American Repertory Theatre  presents, ‘ TRADEWINDS,’ a play  by Jamaican Olivier Stephenson. This comic/tragedy explores the social, ethnic and political forces that affects the lives of people in the Caribbean. The performance venues are: Friday April 28, Saturday 29 at 8 p.m. and Sunday April 30 at 2:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church of Saint Albans; located at 190-04, 119 Ave., St. Albans (2 blocks off Farmers Blvd.) in Queens, New York.
And Friday May 5 and Saturday May 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the United Methodist Church located at 126 Street and Madison Avenue in Harlem, New York City.
Admission is $20. Reservations can be made by calling 212-963-6459.

Atlanta, GA

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release:                             
Contact: Martins Inter-Culture, Ltd
TEL: 312 427-0266    Email:   [email protected]
URL: www.irawma.com  
Damian “”Junior Gong”" Marley
Headlines 25 th International Reggae and World Music Awards
At The World Famous Apollo Theatre May 6, 2006 Performers And Award Nominees Include Daddy Yankee , Wyclef Jean , Will Smith, Beenie Man, Notch, Alton Ellis, Marcia Griffiths, Youssou N’Dour , Mutaburaka, Matisyahu , Machel Montano and others  
NEW YORK, NY

Kingston, Jamaica, April 11, 2006: Summerfest Productions, the organisers of Jamaica ’s Greatest and the world’s best reggae show, Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest, today announced that it was in the final preparatory stages for the event in July. The event, which has a large local following and a significant contingent of overseas patrons each year, promises to be the biggest and best to date.
At a special ‘Reggae breakfast’ for media held at the Terra Nova Hotel, plans for the staging of the event were disclosed by Jomo Cato, Director of Marketing Summerfest Productions. Mr. Cato said that a plethora of local and international talent would be showcased at the event.
“”As a world class event, Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest has confirmed a solid group of world class entertainers that help us to deliver our promise of showcasing Jamaica ’s greatest, the world’s best. Among the artistes are Capleton, Bounty Killa, Beres Hammond, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Baby Cham, Macka Diamond, Busy Signal and Wayne Marshall. We are also in the last stage of negotiations with several international stars, these big names will be disclosed at our launch in May,”" Mr. Cato said.
Mr. Cato also announced that this year the festival will commence on Sunday July 16 with the all new Vibe Island Beach Party . This, he said, would pave the way for a highly entertaining and explosive series of events.
These events include a free street party on the hip strip dubbed ‘ Mad Monday’s Mobay’ to be held on Monday July 17. Dancehall icons Beenie Man and Bounty Killa will be the main acts at the highly anticipated Thursday night event ‘ Stormfront

Montego Bay , Jamaica , April 6, 2006.   This year’s Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest will feature explosive performances from the world’s biggest stars. That’s the word this week from organizers of the high-powered event, who disclosed that a high profile line up of A-list stars will perform at this year’s Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest festival, in ‘ Montego Bay -The Vibes City.’
In a special Reggae Breakfast on Tuesday morning, the media and Montego Bay ’s business community were updated on some of the plans for the staging of this year’s event. Members of the media from Montego Bay and Western Jamaica were introduced to the new board, which Summerfest Productions has stated is aimed at helping the organization to deliver its promise of putting ‘Jamaica’s Greatest And The World’s Best’ on stage at Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest 2006.
Johnny Gourzong, executive director of the event, said, “”The involvement and support of the business community is critical to the success of Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest, we have been very fortunate throughout the years with the assistance from the hotels and the airlines, but we want to broaden that community of stakeholders to include all business operators that benefit from the staging of this event.”"
Some exciting new themes have been added to Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest for the 2006 staging of the event.   Director of Marketing for Summerfest Productions, Jomo Cato, delivered a presentation, which highlighted the financial boost that the event brings to Jamaica and showcased some exciting new plans for 2006.
The festival blasts off on Sunday July 16 with the all-new Vibes Island Beach Party. The new beach event, will feature Jamaica’s hottest selectors, the ‘Reggae on the Runway”" fashion segment, the White House fish Fiesta, a Stew peas cook off domino and ludo championships and all inclusive Red Stripe. On Monday July 17, the vibes continues onto the hip strip for a free street party themed Mad Monday’s Mobay. This event will be staged in partnership with the Hip Strip community and will be a blend of the Mobay Night out street fair, boosted by the energy of selectors from Jamaica ’s biggest street dances. Mad Monday will also feature arts, craft and the best cuisine from the restaurants on the hip strip.   Dancehall icons Beenie man and Bounty Killa will headline the highly anticipated Thursday night event “”Stormfront – The Explosive dancehall night.”" This marks the return of the two dancehall superstars to Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest after missing last year’s event. They will be joined by dancehall’s top shelf acts, Capleton, Elephant Man and Lady Saw and hot artists like Baby Cham and Busy Signal. The vibes increases on Friday when the international fire blazes. At least three major international stars will be among the headliners for ‘IGNITION,’ the concert scheduled for Friday, July 21. Sizzla the major Jamaican headliner will fly the flag of Jamrock on this night of international heavyweights.
On Saturday July 20, the festival climaxes with “”The Summit . “” Perennial crowd pleaser Beres Hammond is expected to thrill at Saturday’s festival closure “”The Summit .”"   Also set to appear at ‘The Summit ,’ is Jamaica ’s chart topper, the legendary Buju Banton . Festival organizers say more international stars would be joining the Saturday night line up soon.
Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest is Jamaica ’s largest reggae festival and is staged every July in Montego Bay by Summerfest Productions. Call your travel agent today to ensure you are present for this summer’s hottest festival.

Kingston , Jamaica , Thurs. March 30, 2006: Organizers of the world’s greatest reggae festival, Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest, has promised that this year’s show will be more entertaining and exciting than previous years.
A significant part of the festival will be the long anticipated return of two of Jamaica ’s and indeed the worlds most sought after dancehall acts.
Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest will welcome the return of the ‘Poor People’s Governor,’ Bounty Killa, and the self proclaimed ‘King of the Dancehall’ and Grammy award winner, Beenie Man. Both artistes will headline the strongly supported and highly enjoyable Dancehall night, scheduled for Thursday July 20, 2006.
The event themed, ‘Stormfront – the explosive dancehall night,’ will showcase some of the Jamaica ’s greatest and the worlds’ best dancehall performers and is certain to be, not only entertaining, but also well attended.
 
Dancehall fans from across the globe will descend on the Vibes City, Montego Bay, Jamaica for Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest’s ‘Stormfront’ to see icons, Beenie Man and Bounty Killa on stage on the same night for what is promised to be an energy packed performance by both performers. Both artistes have committed to delivering a spectacular show in their own unique styles through which they will display their lyrical prowess.
Summerfest Productions Director of Marketing, Jomo Cato, commented, “”The streets are buzzing in anticipation of the return of the giants, Bounty and Beenie, we expect thrilling performances because the artists, save their most exciting stuff for Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest.”"
Bounty Killa’s very recent image transformation, in terms of attire and social involvement, will also serve to heighten the enthusiasm and anxiety already surrounding the upcoming event. It is his return to share the stage with Beenie Man on Dancehall night that will be the one not to miss for this years’ Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest.
Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest is slated for July 16-22. Call your favorite travel agent to make reservations now and stay tuned for the unveiling of a brand new Sumfest website within the next few weeks.
 
 

On Sunday, August 6, 2006 , from 8 to 11 p.m., in the North Miami Beach Julius Littman Performing Arts Theater, located at 17011 NE 19 Avenue North Miami Beach, FL 33162, Carib Productions, LLC will proudly present the First Annual Miss Caribbean International Beauty Pageant, produced in part by Studio 104 Productions and Televised on a major cable network, powered by thinkking media, inc., a Miami-based guerilla marketing and public relations collaborative.
“”The archetype of Caribbean beauty is yet to be determined,”" says Vanessa Marcel, executive director of the Miss Caribbean International Beauty Pageant. “”We are seeking to elicit the epitome of beauty, intelligence, benevolence and sophistication as represented in the Caribbean and Latin American communities.”"
Applications are currently being accepted for the 1st annual pageant.
Caribbean or Latin American ladies interested in the pageant may log on to www.misscaribbeaninternational.com to request an application or call toll free (877) 416-3156 for more information. Eligible contestants must be single and be between the ages of 18 and 28.
Only the most qualified applicants that meet all requirements for the Miss Caribbean International Beauty Pageant will be chosen to be the premier elite ladies of the Caribbean and Latin America. The lucky ladies will be selected to compete in Miami, FL July 31-August 7, 2006. The kick off party will be held Memorial Day weekend in Miami, FL.
The winner of the pageant will be chosen and crowned on Sunday, August 6, 2006 at the North Miami Beach Julius Littman Performing Arts Theater. As the Miss Caribbean International Beauty Queen, the winner will have the esteemed pleasure of touring the world as a spokesmodel while engaging in various activities intended to increase Caribbean cultural knowledge and awareness. The prestigious winner will receive cash prizes, trips, scholarships, guest appearances, and much more. Preliminary pageant directors are needed to help us select the best candidate to represent each country in the international competition. Businesses and individuals interested in using the pageant as an advertising medium may contact us for sponsorship/sales kit packages.
The producers of Miss Caribbean International Beauty Pageant also have a deep interest in improving the lives for the Native Peoples of the Caribbean. Therefore, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Foundation for Caribbean Hopeless Kids, Inc. This charity was founded to provide education and assistance (food, clothing, shelter) to underserved children worldwide.

 
NEW YORK, N.Y., Fri. Jan. 20, 2006: Music fans looking to obtain last minute seats on flights into Jamaica for the exhilarating 2006 Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival can still do so, even though show time is now in exactly three days at the fabulous Rose Hall Resort & Country Club in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
That

NEW YORK, N.Y., Mon. Jan. 16, 2006: Rev. Al Green, soul diva Patti Labelle, reggae sensation Shaggy and hot new superstar John Legend, are the world-renowned stars ready to headline this year’s three-night Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival.
Shaggy, currently on tour in India, will be flying into Jamaica three days ahead of the festival to get ready for his opening night performance on January 26 at the Rose Hall Resort and Country Club in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The singer, who has popularized the phrase, ‘It Wasn’t Me’ from his smash hit by the same name, and achieved world class fame for hot tunes like ‘Angel,’ ‘Mr. Lover,’ and recently, ‘Wild 2 Nite,’ is sure to heat things up.
While Legend, the eight-time 2005 Grammy nominee and neo-soul singer and pianist, is also prepping for his historic duet with the reggae superstar. A duet is sure to leave the opening night crowd talking and only heighten the sense of excitement of what will follow during the rest of the festival.
Al Green, the man who brought the world ‘Tired of Being Alone,’ a song which became his first hit single in 1970, is all geared up to thrill jazz fans, who are sure to sing along to this musical legend on Friday night, Jan. 27.
The multiple Grammy winner has managed to successfully cross over from R&B to rock to gospel, and in the process, achieved a string of number one hits including ‘Let’s Stay Together,’ ‘I’m Still In Love With You,’ ‘Call Me,’ ‘Here I Am,’ ‘Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)’ and the gospel albums, ‘I Can’t Stop’ and ‘Everything’s OK.’
Al Green is sure to give true meaning to the festival’s tag line, ‘the art of music,’ bringing his own brand of gospel to festivalgoers.
Soul diva LaBelle headlines the Saturday, January 28 show and is sure to spin her magic on the finale night crowd. Afterall, she has a long list of top favorites to choose from, including the timeless, ‘On My Own,’ ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me,’ ‘Lady Marmalade,’ ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore’ and ‘Over the Rainbow.’
Meanwhile, other performers set to rock the festival on opening night are flutist, Nestor Torres, Lyfe Jennings and reggae’s Morgan Heritage. Friday night brings the legendary group, Air Supply, Bo Diddley, Richie Stephens and newcomer Nicole Henry, to the festival and perform the same night as Al Green.
On the final night of the festival, reggae’s Maxi Priest, neo-soul newcomer KEM, crooner James Ingram and the Reunion Jazz Quartet, along with top calypso and reggae artists who will pay tribute to Caribbean musical icon, Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, will follow LaBelle’s magic . Set to laud Lee for his 50-year musical career are Calypso King of the World, the Mighty Sparrow; the Merry Men from Barbados, who will be reuniting on stage for the first time in years; Arrow of ‘Hot, Hot, Hot,’ fame, Marcia Griffiths, Ken Lazarus, Keith Lyn and Pluto.
Tickets are still available for the festival, which is now nine days away from today, and can be obtained through your favorite travel agent and at the venue. An event pass for the three-days costs US$160 while individual ticket prices range from US$50 for the Thursday night performance, $55 for Friday night and $60 for the final tribute night, Sat. Jan. 28.
Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival is a Turn Key Production and has been running continuously for the past ten years. Sponsors include Air Jamaica, The Jamaica Tourist Board, American Express, Digicel, NCB Bank of Jamaica, Half-Moon Resort, Coral Cliff Hotel, Holiday Inn, JAMPRO, BET Jazz, Ocean Spray, Heineken Beer, Wata, Supreme Ventures, AnBell and PanCaribbean. For JazzFest packages call Air Jamaica Vacations at 1-800-LOVEBIRD or for more information, log on to: www.airjamaicajazzandblues.com
 
 

NEW YORK, N.Y., Mon. Jan. 9, 2006: The countdown to the star-studded Air Jamaica Jazz Fest of 2006 has begun and with just 17 days to show time, airline seats are going fast along with festival tickets and hotels rooms.
As producer Walter Elmore, tells it, “”The buzz and the vibe in the country is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like this in all the years I’ve been in the business. People are trying to find hotel rooms as far away as Ocho Rios and Negril.”"
The performers are all gearing up to thrill fans and the Turn Key executive revealed that,   “”The airline seats are booked for all the performers, h otels rooms are being assigned, all the equipment is being shipped and everything is falling in place.”"
Opening night for the three-day festival is Thursday, January 26 at the Rose Hall Resort and Country Club in Montego Bay, Jamaica and Elmore reveals that nine Grammy nominees for 2005 will be on one stage that night with internationally known reggae artist ‘Mr. Boombastic’ Shaggy and John Legend performing both separately and also as a duo. It will be a historic moment and the “”secret”" song is already being rehearsed by both artists, according to Elmore.
Also set to perform that night is reggae’s royal family, Morgan Heritage along with Chester “”Lyfe”" Jennings, who last year released his ‘Lyfe 268-192,’ album on Sony Records and master flutist and composer Nestor Torres . On Friday night, January 27, Richie Stephens, who has been called one of reggae’s most versatile personalities, will perform along with the international cast of Rev. Green, Air Supply, Bo Diddley and newcomer Nicole Henry. Air Supply will be in Jamaica for the first time in their 30-plus year career and are promising fans a great show they will be able to sing along to.
As the duo, Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock tell it, “”We’ll be playing all the hits

NEW YORK, N.Y., Fri. Dec. 30, 2005: Before there was Bob Marley, there was Byron Lee & and his Dragonaires band, developing and popularizing the sound called ska and adding to the mix, calypso. The year was 1956, some 20 years before Marley emerged on the world’s stage. As Lee tells it, “”When I entered the scene, Jamaica did not have a national sound. We were copying other peoples’ music and playing a little Latin like the cha, cha and the meringue and the calypso and rumba.”" Under the guidance of Edward Seaga, then minister of culture for Jamaica, Lee says he went to western Kingston and took the ska sound that was being played there, developed and polished it after 3 months and made it the “” first original sounds”" of Jamaica. On January 28, 2006, the Rose Hall Resort and Country Club in Montego Bay, Jamaica will come alive with a generation of Caribbean musical performers, who will join organizers of the Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival in paying tribute to Lee, a Caribbean musical icon whose career spans a phenomenal half-a-century. Performer, producer, promoter and bandleader, Lee and his Dragonaires band, have recorded almost 700 titles since 1956 and garnered 10 major hits including ‘Tiny Winey,’ ‘Butterfly’ and ‘Soca Tatie.’ He was playing many world-class arenas before Marley and has seen the evolution of the music in Jamaica, from ska with mento to rocksteady, reggae, dancehall and now the fertilization of dancehall and Hip Hop. And his Dynamics Studios has recorded tracks for musical heavy weights like Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, Roberta Flack and Marley. Plus he brought calypso from Trinidad and popularized it in Jamaica and followed up in the 1980’s by bringing carnival to the island and merging soca with dancehall in a merger of the music of both countries. For Lee, who spends his time between Miami and Jamaica, the honor is amazing, especially since to him, “”it’s a foregone conclusion that the Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival is THE festival of the Caribbean.”" At first, he revealed, he thought Turn Key Productions executive, Walter Elmore, was joking. “”I didn’t believe Walter at first,”" Lee said with a laugh. “”But when Walter got serious, I realized it was genuine. He told me to bring back popular people that I associated with for a musical honor.”" And the Dynamic studio executive has. The Calypso King of the World, the Mighty Sparrow; Arrow of ‘Hot, Hot, Hot,’ fame, the Merry Men of Barbados who will be reuniting on stage for the first time in years; Marcia Griffiths, Ernie Smith, Pluto, Admiral Bailey and Ken Lazarus are just some of the top notch cast that will gather at midnight on January 28 to pay tribute to Lee and his 14-member band for three solid hours. But the show will not stop there. Lee revealed that he and the Dragonaires will take the stage at 3 a.m. for a carnival bacchanal at the jazz and blues fest. “”We’re going to have a carnival session at the last part

NEW YORK, N.Y., Fri. Dec. 22, 2005: Multiple Grammy-award winning singer James Ingram has played arenas all over the world but Jamaica and the Caribbean holds a special place in his heart. Ingram, who will play the Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival on January 28, 2006, says playing to the audience in Jamaica is an “honor” and gives him a sense of coming “back home.” Especially, he says, since he hasn

NEW YORK, N.Y., Fri. Dec. 16, 2005: Singer Richie Stephens, dubbed Jamaica’s ‘Golden Voice’ of reggae, can’t wait for January 27, 2006. That’s the night Stephens says he intends to serenade fans for an entire hour and then some, to top tunes from his musical repertoire. However , you have got to be at the 2006 Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival in order to enjoy Stephen’s treat live and in person. Songs like ‘ Trying To Get To You,’ ‘ Fight Back, ‘ the chart-topping ‘ Joy ,’ ‘Maniac,”" and ‘ Weakness For Sweetness ,’ are just some of the old time favorites the Savannah-La-Mar-born singer intends to perform. But he won’t stop there as he plans to add some of the recent releases like   “”Take Me Away,’ the new single that’s part of an album set to be released almost a month after the festival.
 ”"I have been in the business for a couple of years now and that allows me to have a wide repertoire of songs. So I’ll be doing songs from the early, the middle and the present,”" says Stephens, adding, “”We’re coming with a full show so it’s a night for you to come and discover what I have to offer.”"
  And the head of the company, Pot Of Gold executive says he does not just intend to sing his heart out but to put on a ‘real’ performance, backed by his Masterpiece band, that’s sure to leave fans begging for more. As he jokingly revealed, “”I’m even doing Tae-Bo for this performance.”"
Stephens is the top Jamaican and Caribbean act set to perform alongside at international high-powered lineup on Friday, January 27, that includes multiple Grammy winner and gospel great, Rev. Al Green; legendary musical duo Air Supply; Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer Bo Diddley and newcomer Nicole Henry.
 They will follow an opening line-up on Thursday, January 26, that includes 2005 eight time Grammy nominee, John Legend; reggae’s Shaggy, who picked up a Grammy for the first time in 1996 and has been nominated for another this year; master flutist, Nestor Torres, also a Grammy winner; reggae’s highly hailed family, Morgan Heritage and the celebrated singer/songwriter/producer, Chester “”Lyfe”" Jennings.
  On the final night of the festival, Sat. Jan. 28, Grammy Award winners Patti LaBelle and James Ingram are slated to perform, as are Maxi Priest, newcomer KEM, and the Reunion Jazz Quartet. While Calypso King of the World, the Mighty Sparrow; Arrow of ‘Hot, Hot, Hot,’ fame, the Merry Men, Marcia Griffiths and Ken Lazarus will pay tribute music legend, Byron Lee, for his musical career that spans a half-century.
An event pass for the three-day festival costs US$160 while individual ticket prices range from US$50 for the Thursday night performance, $55 for Friday night and $60 for the final tribute night, Sat. Jan. 28.
  Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival is a Turn Key Productions event and has been running continuously for the past ten years. Sponsors include Air Jamaica, The Jamaica Tourist Board, American Express, Digicel, NCB Bank of Jamaica, Half-Moon Resort, Coral Cliff hotel, Holiday Inn, Jampro, BET Jazz, Ocean Spray, Heineken beer, Wata, Supreme Ventures, AnBell and PanCaribbean. For JazzFest packages call Air Jamaica Vacations at 1-800-LOVEBIRD or for more information, log on to: www.airjamaicajazzandblues.com Tickets will be available at the venue or through your favorite travel agent.