Promoter says people ‘hungry’ for dancehall

Following her "sold-out", back-to-back shows at the Barclays Center in New York over the weekend, promoter of Reggae Fest Massive Weekend, CJ Milan, said, "people are hungry for dancehall".

"The culture speaks for itself...[people] are showing up, flying in and supporting the movement. We just need to keep creating the spaces, putting on the events and letting the music do what it does. Dancehall isn't just a genre -- it's a vibe, it's an experience, it's culture. And now the world is watching," she told THE STAR.

Milan said that in repeating her known pattern of success, the turnout for last weekend shows was "amazing".

"It was such a competitive weekend, so the fact that so many people came out to support us -- again -- just reminded me why we do this. We do it for the culture. We do it for the artistes and we do it for the people," she said, noting that entertainment company, Live Nation Entertainment, also acknowledged the impressive work by her and her production team.

"I received a plaque. Live Nation confirmed it and that's all I needed to hear. At the Barclays Center, a huge photo with 'Sold Out' was erected on the wall [and] DJ Khaled recently took a picture beside it. Night two, the same thing happened," she stated. While noting that she doesn't have the exact number of patrons who turned out for each night, she said for both nights, the venue was "packed to its capacity [and] I'm just grateful for the support and feedback we have been receiving for Reggae Fest Massive Weekend".

The US Labour Day Weekend event saw the return of dancehall king Vybz Kartel for the third time this year, all of which Milan said were sold out. Following Vybz Kartel's epic performance last Friday, the venue was again transformed into a spectacle the following night with Bounty Killer and Alkaline sharing stage, much to the delight of several fans. The show also featured Shenseea, Spice, Capleton, Elephant Man, Mr Vegas and Ayetian, who made a surprise guest appearance during Shenseea's set.

Pulling off a show featuring Bounty Killer and Alkaline, who notoriously don't get along, Milan said her focus was way beyond that "beef" and more about "elevating the culture".

"I didn't even think about it too much, honestly. At the end of the day, this is for the people and for the culture and they're both professionals. I think everybody else made more out of it than they did -- both artistes came out and gave the people a show," Milan said.

"Sometimes it's not even the artistes -- it's the fans creating narratives. But both men are professionals. They came, did what they came to do, and the people loved it. This is about elevating the culture. That's the focus."

She also quickly shut down the "false narrative" that has been circulating about "fans of Alkaline walking out on Bounty's set".

"Let me clear that up right now. No, fans didn't walk out because of anyone. We were in overtime -- 45 minutes over, on union time, which costs an arm and a leg. People were leaving to get to the after party, get their cars, catch their trains -- it happens at every big concert," she said, adding that both artistes received the same energy from the buzzing crowd.

Following the event, Mr Vegas pointed out the importance of hosting quality productions for dancehall/reggae events, suggesting the need for more local events of such magnitude and quality artistes as what Milan Productions presented at Reggae Fest. As a female promoter in the States, she said that organising and presenting productions of this calibre is her passion.

"For me, it's actually easy because I love it and I have an amazing team. I'm hands-on with production and yes, I control the stage effects myself. We don't play about production -- we take this very seriously. My visual team is amazing and we work hard to get the best content we can. This is what I love to do and I put my heart into it," said Milan.