Jamaican Music Festival: It may have rained but not on this parade
What started out as a beautiful day full of sunshine quickly turned into a downpour, like a tropical storm. Though the weather turned on a dime the mood at the Jamaican music festival in Queens didn’t. The sun was shining from within as the people danced to good music and generated good vibes.
Nestled in Roy Wilkins Park in Jamaica, Queens, The Jamaican Music Festival featured Derrick Morgan, Johnny Clarke, Tanya Stephens, D’Angel, Macka Diamond, Coco Tea, Tony Rebel and many more. The festival was full of music lovers who came to listen to the sounds from the island of wood and water. In the middle of the show the rain came down like a monsoon but that didn’t turn people away as two iconic singers in the lineup, Cocoa Tee and Toney Rebel, kept the party going. Jamaican music lovers pulled out their umbrellas and danced in the rain as Coca jumped off the stage and walked through the VIP section to general admission and serenaded the audience with his honey-dipped voice. And Tony Rebel ignored the fact that the amps couldn’t handle the weather and keep on crooning. The crowd went wild, appreciating their artistry and commitment to giving them what they came for; the sweet soulful sounds of Jamaican music. People stayed until the very end and the musicians provided plenty of warmth and sunshine with their bass and drums even though the skies were dark and the wind blew wild. Jamaicans love their roots and culture and no one was going to let the bad weather get in their way of enjoying the music.
This is a festival you should not miss. It’s held annually and come rain or shine I will be there next year.
