REFLECTION & REASON

For the second time in the past 6 years, we've witnessed the historic release and return to the stage of a dancehall legend at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. Like the countdown to Buju Banton's "The Long Walk to Freedom" concert in 2019, the New Year's Eve "Freedom Street" show celebrating Vybz Kartel on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 was a must-see production for reggae and dancehall enthusiasts. After serving 13 years, Kartel (Adidja Palmer) was released from incarceration on July 31, 2024. From that moment, this "first" performance has been anticipated. The excitement. The chatter. The suspense. The extreme FOMO for those not able to make it to Jamaica for the show (present company included). The focus on the island of Jamaica, attracting the who's-who of dancehall, music lovers, cultural supporters, music media, and patrons and supporters of reggae and dancehall who were eager to ring in their 2025 as one of the fortunate thousa...

Very seldom can we witness a moment in history and know that, without a doubt, it is going to be a memory that remains a significant part of our lives forever. There are incidents that we'll always recall for personal reasons, or times we hold dear as a part of our family legacy, but the cultural moments that simultaneously resonate with us all are rare to come by. But when they do hit...we feel no pain. It wasn't my intention to watch the inaugural performance of the Buju Banton " Long Walk to Freedom Tour " from the cold familiarity of Toronto, Canada. Since Buju was released from incarceration, in December of last year, I knew that every moment up until this particular performance was going to be one of great musical anticipation...and I wanted to be there for the climax. "Due to circumstances beyond my control..." I was unable to fly to Kingston to see Mark Myrie touch the stage after nine long years. Instead, I made sure to lock in every device and ...