Several top reggae acts have been lined up for the Trench Town Rocks Charity Concert aimed at ending gang violence and developing the community. The event has been scheduled for December 26 and will be held at Culture Yard and The Ambassador Theater, First Street, Trench Town, South, St. Andrew.

The concert, which is organized by Broad Haven Associates and the Trench Town Development Trust, is expected to feature artistes from a number of genres including dancehall, reggae, soca, and international music, including a section that is geared towards highlighting up and coming musicians. Among those to appear are; Nesbeth, Queen Ifrica, Tony Rebel, Prince IKEEM of Unruly nation, Destra, and one of the biggest artistes from East Africa in Uganda Jose Chameleone.

 “The concept behind the event came out of a need to end gang violence in Trench Town and other inner-city communities around the world,” explained Dr Rene Williamson, Director, Business Development, Broad Haven Associates, one of the principals behind the concert.

“Another goal of the concert is to promote the development of Trench Town, which will be used as a blueprint for urban development in Jamaica. We also want to advocate for African and Caribbean unity as His Imperial Majesty, Marcus Garvey and Trench Town’s own Bob Marley demanded. It is only through unity that we can end inner-city gang violence,” Dr. Williamson added.

Although the concert comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the staging of entertainment events, the promoters are confident that they will receive the nod to stage Trenchtown Rocks because of the protocols they will be implementing.

“I hold a Doctorate in Biomedicine from Yale and taught at Johns Hopkins University. This has given me the knowledge about the impact of the coronavirus. I am also familiar with the necessary protocols that will enhance public safety,” affirms Dr. Williamson.

“As a result, we will employ all the pandemic mitigation strategies learned over the last 18 months from data gathered globally which includes vaccination, social distancing, and wearing proper personal protective equipment (PPE), especially N95 masks. We are having extensive discussions with the Ministries of Health and Wellness, Tourism and National Security to ensure that local and international patrons as well as the artistes are protected,” he added.

The event will be free for fully vaccinated persons and also streamed worldwide with top streaming companies’ partners for people overseas who want to watch the event.

“We will have VIP and Corporate suites available at a cost of USD$200-500 per person which will give an all-Inclusive experience. We will also have professional security in place with assistance from Security provided by public (JCF, JDF) and private security forces such as Blackwater, Quest, Guardsman, to name a few,” he added.

Proceeds from the event will go to the Shashamane Schools, Trench Town Development Trust (TTDT) and Haile Clacken Bipolar Foundation (HCBPF), and Kingston College Old Boy Association New York (KCOBA).

Dr. Williamson said he and his team bring a wealth of experience to staging events having been involved in the hosting of the Tomorrow’s Leaders Festival with Morgan Heritage Foundation in Kenya in 2019 and a Reggae Month Event on February 28 and received support from a wide cross-section of officials to name a few.

Therefore, he and his team are confident that the concert will be successful and plan to make it an annual event. They are also planning for concerts in Addis Ababa and Shashamane in Ethiopia which is scheduled for Genna (Ethiopian Christmas on January 7, 2022), as well as Kenya and Uganda to follow later in the year.

The team has been having discussions with major corporate sponsors and has so far confirmed two partners, Broad Haven Cannabis Farm and Medical Cannabis Exchange on board.