The 2023 Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise: In Photos

Table Of Content

• Honda Music
• Damian Marley's Welcome To Jamrock Cruise Celebrates Five Years With Big Lineup
• Bounty Killer Reacts After Shabba Ranks Names “Only Three” Generals In Dancehall
• A Legendary Line-Up For The Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise
• Raising Reggae’s Sails: Damian Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock Cruise Grows Into Genre’s Premiere Event
• H ANNUALWELCOME TO JAMROCK REGGAE CRUISE
• Elephant Man Lists The Meanest Jamaican Artists
• Super Cat and Heavy D - "Dem No Worry We" (

I spoke with Marley about this year's cruise, the artist he'd still love to have him on the cruise in the future and more. After a three-year hiatus due to COVID, Damian Marley and his annual JamRock Reggae Cruise departed from Miami yesterday (December 7), bound for Jamaica. Joined this year by such reggae icons as Burning Spear, Shabba Ranks, Shinehead, Maxi Priest, Stephen Marley and more, the five-day excursion blends reggae with the Jamaican culture, such as food and more, as well as yoga and other activities. It was a bit of a feminist anthem in a weird way.

Honda Music

On the third day we docked in Montego Bay, I eschewed the traditional cruise excursions to cut costs and instead opted for a tour hosted by a local company. For $30 we were taken as a group to wherever we desired, with our guide stopping off regularly to pick local fruits and flora to explain their significance to us. Upon returning to the boat we were bestowed with iconic performances from Sizzla and Bounty Killer.

Damian Marley's Welcome To Jamrock Cruise Celebrates Five Years With Big Lineup

S rock from singers Maxi Priest, Tarrus Riley, Christopher Ellis, Etana and newcomer Naomi Cowan. Today, Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise reveals this year’s formidable lineup. From reggae, dancehall, lover’s rock and everything in between, Jamaican music from every pivotal era will be represented at this year’s cruise. Damian “Jr Gong” Marley and Stephen “Ragga” Marley will return to the stage with their catalog of hits. GRAMMY-winning reggae artist—and son of reggae legend Bob Marley—Damian Marley has taken the role of continuing his father's legacy and keeping the genre alive and vibrant quite seriously.

Bounty Killer Reacts After Shabba Ranks Names “Only Three” Generals In Dancehall

Followed later by a brilliant performance from Stephen “Ragga” Marley that closed out the main stage, yet again we danced until the sun rose and the ship cut the sound out to tell us to get ready to leave. Knowing full well we would have stayed there long after our return to Miami. Idol first made a splash in the latter half of the '70s with the British punk band Generation X. In the '80s, he went on to a solo career combining rock, pop, and punk into a distinct sound that transformed him and his musical partner, guitarist Steve Stevens, into icons. They have racked up multiple GRAMMY nominations, in addition to one gold, one double platinum, and four platinum albums thanks to hits like "Cradle Of Love," "Flesh For Fantasy," and "Eyes Without A Face." From their shared sound system roots, rap and reggae, took divergent paths.

A Legendary Line-Up For The Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise

That said, Damian is looking at expanding aspects of the cruise’s format, such as adding preliminary rounds in several cities leading up to the sound system competition, the Jamrock Sound Clash, introduced on the 2015 voyage and won both years by Japan’s Mighty Crown. He’ll also continue to diversify the lineup as evidenced by this year’s inclusion of popular Samoan-American reggae singer J Boog, Bermudian sing-jay Collie Buddz and Trinidadian soca star Bunji Garlin. His latest release is Cage, the second in a trilogy of annual four-song EPs. The title track is a classic Billy Idol banger expressing the desire to free himself from personal constraints and live a better life. Other tracks on Cage incorporate metallic riffing and funky R&B grooves.

Raising Reggae’s Sails: Damian Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock Cruise Grows Into Genre’s Premiere Event

We've lived with the demons so long, we've found a way to live with them. We found a way to be at peace with our demons, in a way. Maybe not completely, but certainly to where we’re enjoying what we do and excited about it. Then when I got into my solo career, that was the fun of it.

Taken from their 1985 album The Fat Boys are Back "Hardcore Reggae" reached No. 52 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Word of the party, and Herc’s groundbreaking techniques spread quickly. Soon, others began imitating what Herc and Coke La Rock were doing, adding their own flourishes, which ushered in a new musical movement. Hip-hop wouldn’t have developed as it did without Herc’s pioneering efforts, or the adaptations he made to the Jamaican sound system template.

Elephant Man Lists The Meanest Jamaican Artists

At one point, we were very drug addicted in the '80s. I don’t know how he’s doing it, but it’s incredible. All I want to be able to do is have a couple of glasses of wine at a restaurant or something. I had to say to myself, about the drugs and stuff, that I've been there and I've done it.

Maybe someone will go a lot deeper into it and it won't be so surface. But maybe you needed this just to get people back in the flow. I love Jonesy’s book, I thought his book was incredible. I think working with people that are super talented, you just feel confident.

Which is a shame really because, with Andrew Watt producing, it's a hit song. But, unlike many legacy artists, Idol is anything but a relic. Billy continues to produce vital Idol music by collaborating with producers and songwriters — including Miley Cyrus — who share his forward-thinking vision.

Stellar performance from Kabaka Pyramid on Welcome to JamRock Cruise - Jamaica Gleaner

Stellar performance from Kabaka Pyramid on Welcome to JamRock Cruise.

Posted: Tue, 12 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

G-funk continues to influence Los Angeles hip-hop, with innovative artists like Dam-Funk and Channel Tres bringing the funk and G-funk, into electro territory. Funk and disco-centered '70s revival is definitely having a moment, with acts like Ghost Funk Orchestra and Parcels, while its sparkly sprinklings can be heard in pop from Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, and, in full "Soul Train" character, Silk Sonic. There are also acts making dreamy, atmospheric music with a solid dose of funk, such as Khruangbin’s global sonic collage. Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise has become one of the most in-demand reggae gatherings in the world, selling out every year since its inception in 2014. Each year, fans spanning from over 40 countries converge for their love of reggae and Jamaican culture.

The cruise will embark on its annual voyage on Dec. 1, from Florida to Jamaica and allow music fans to explore the birthplace of reggae music and experience four days filled with music from modern greats. An aspect I believe is worth mentioning is that all of the Main Stage performances honoured the art of the live band, making for an exceptional production, something that doesn’t always happen with events on this scale. With its comprehensive presentation of Jamaican music, The Welcome to Jamrock Cruise has in three years developed from an untested concept for reggae into, arguably, the genre’s premier event. We went from being unknown to being known overnight. We waited a year, Generation X. We even told them [record labels] no for nine months to a year. Every record company wanted their own punk rock group.

The 1990s were a significant decade for dancehall’s breakthrough beyond the Caribbean diaspora. Several Jamaican artists were signed to major labels, and hip-hop collaborations and remixes became essential tools in marketing the music in America and expanding the popularity of Jamaican hits. In New York Herc experimented with audio equipment purchased by his father in an attempt to maximize their sound.