... to close show on Dancehall Night

CURTIS CAMPBELL, STAR Writer

Queen of the Dancehall Lady Saw is about to set another trend. This time, she will be the first woman to perform as a closing act for Dancehall Night at Reggae Sumfest 2015.

"I feel very excited to be closing the show. Who best to close it than me? A female has never closed Reggae Sumfest Dancehall Night ever, so I'm very honoured, I'm creating history. What I normally do, whenever I'll be closing a major show, is to write new lyrics. I always come original and always energetic. I'm planning something special for Sumfest," said Lady Saw, who is the first female deejay to win a Grammy Award and to be certified as a triple-platinum artiste.

Momentous occasion

Meanwhile, Johnny Gourzong, executive director of Summerfest Productions, told The STAR that the decision to have Lady Saw close the show was an easy one.

"This is a momentous occasion for Reggae Sumfest. Our festival, now in its 23rd year, will make history with the Queen of the Dancehall closing Dancehall Night. This has never been done, and I know that Lady Saw will bring the excitement, the lyrics, the talent and the hits that will attract a large crowd," Gourzong said.

Organisers have spiced things up this year with a Summer Blockbuster theme, renaming the three major nights, 'Dancehall Explosion' for Dancehall Night, 'Show Time' for International Night One, and 'Star Time' for International Night Two. The event kicks off on Sunday, July 12, with a Beach Party at the Aquasol Beach Park in Montego Bay and an all-white affair at Pier One on Tuesday, July 14, also in the same city.

Our partnership

One of the sponsors, Red Stripe, will also be doing something different for the festival.

"This year, we will be launching our Red Stripe Lemon Paradise flavour and we expect that to be a hit, the same way we expect the festival to be a huge hit this year. We will continue our partnership and support in years to come, because we believe this festival is great for Jamaica and supports all the great reggae music that comes from Jamaica," Blandine JnPaul-Reid, head of marketing at Red Stripe, told THE STAR.

But Reid was not the only one giving high praises to the event, as Pepsi's Marketing Manager Mitchell Watson also spoke highly of the festival.

"Given music's role in the DNA of Pepsi, it's only fitting that we would want to partner in Jamaica with the Caribbean's leading music festival. The year 2015 has allowed us to work with some young talent who are making waves and blazing the music trail. This we have done with our Pepsi Refresh Tour, which will culminate on International Night Two with the Pepsi Hour. It's a wonderful partnership, which can only be good for the sponsors, the promoters and the people in Montego Bay," Watson said.