RAVING REVIEWS for Jashii's Rebel Salute Performance

Dancehall music has had a significant impact on youth culture in Jamaica. The music, characterized by its fastpaced rhythms and explicit lyrics, has been both celebrated and criticized for its influence on young people.

Dancehall music has also had a significant impact on the way that young people in Jamaica interact with each other The genre has been criticized for its negative impact on youth in Jamaica This has led to concern that the music may be influencing young people to engage in harmful and destructive behavior

Recently, dancehall artiste Jashii performed at the 29th staging of Rebel Salute and was applauded for his stellar performance and the messages that he left with patrons

At first glance, people might not expect Jahshii to perform at the show because of the show's culture that has played a pivotal role in the preservation of reggae since its first staging in 1994 However, did he surprise everyone on the first of the two-night show at Grizzly's Plantation in St Ann

The Spanish Town deejay was in fine form when he made his debut performance Not only did he perform some of his conscious hits, but the deejay also called for an end to violence amid a steep rise in crime across Jamaica. His gesture was well received by the audience as well as co-host of the event, Mutabaruka

Jahshii performed an emotional rendition of his popular single “Born Fighter” as he roamed through the audience He also encouraged young youths like himself to dream big and work hard while lamenting that it took him a lot of hard work to reach the heights of dancehall music

Many patrons praised the young dancehall artiste who has been making his mark in the industry and hopes that he will continue to share his voice and music with the world in a positive way

Jahshii was one of 27 artistes who performed on night one of Rebel Salute on Friday, the first in-person show since 2020 and the 29th staging of the event

Bounty Killer, Kabaka Pyramid, Tony Rebel, Yaksta, and Nation Boss were also part of the night one line-up

The show itself was great The performances were exceptional and Tony Rebel is looking forward to the 30th staging

For Tony Rebel, planning for next year has already begun and it promises to be a big one

Alpha makes history with first of its kind course in applied sound system performance

The Alpha School of Music in Jamaica will officially offer an Introduction to Sound System Performance course starting this month

The course, which is the first of its kind in Jamaica, and perhaps the world, will be a required course for second-year students in the pre-qualifying year of Alpha's Associate Degree of Music Performance program

The course will teach the fundamentals of sound system performance in a group context, from setting up the equipment, to audio selections to microphone work As a unique Jamaican example of performance, the sound system fits appropriately within Alpha's ensemble based curriculum and offers a proven methodology for training youth in audio technology, performance and production

"The sound system is a key part of Jamaica's commercial music and entertainment ecosystem," said Alpha Bandmaster Gay Magnus "It's important not just because it's the foundation of our popular culture but because it's also an important group activity at the forefront of Jamaican music and entertainment for decades We're looking forward to the course and grateful to Dr Dennis Howard for accepting the position of instructor "

In the 1960s, when Sister Ignatius managed the Alpha music program, she operated the Mutt & Jeff Sound System on the Alpha Boys School campus She would use Mutt & Jeff to listen to new songs and discuss what makes 'good music' Students had a chance to also perform and operate the sound system Grammy nominee Winston 'Yellowman' Foster says he first used a microphone on “Sister's sound” Alpha past student and drummer, Ilawi Malawi, a veteran selector for Brigadier Jerry's Jah Love Sound System, credits Sister Ignatius with teaching him how to play on a sound system

Alpha's place in Jamaica's music pantheon can be heard on Alpha Boys School Radio, a 24/7 streaming station that only plays music in whole or in p a r t p e r f o r m e d b y A l p h a g r a d u a t e s (alphaboysschoolradio com)