‘Reggae South of the Border’ tonight at SAPA

On the line-up for “Reggae South of the Border – The Concert” are two of the nation’s top reggae artistes – Jamelody (Michael Williams) and Prophet Benjamin (Devon Samuel). Each will perform accompanied by full band.

Joining the two headline acts on stage will be several other highly respected local artistes including General Grant (Curtis Grant) who is one of the pioneers of the local reggae/dancehall/ragga scene and also one of the local artistes to have enjoyed international acclaim.

Also on the cast is Ziggy Rankin (Khouri Francis), a versatile singer who has made his mark on the reggae and soca circuits over the past decade. Young and versatile Orlando Octave, the man of many voices, Isasha (Brandon Young) and Royal Dainties are also featured guest acts.

Jamelody is known for his conscious and his love songs. He started singing in church as a youth and along with gospel he liked to perform R&B. When he embraced Rastafarianism, Jamelody began to do conscious reggae and when he was ready to do his first album had the good fortune of being signed to VP Records where he worked in they studio with the legendary Bobby Digital.

A smooth crooner, Jamelody has over the years built an impressive repertoire including songs such as, “Forever Give Thanks,” “I Love You,” “Special To Me,” “Since You’ve Been Away,” “Be Prepared,” “Pressure” and one of his biggest hits, a cover of the Stevie Wonder classic, “Ribbon In The Sky,” which received critical acclaim from international music critics.

With his more raw and rugged voice comes Prophet Benjamin has in the past seven years risen to the top of the local reggae scene with his hardcore style. With songs like “Coming From Moruga,” “Pretty Boy” and “Usual Suspects,” Prophet Benjamin made a bold statement on behalf of local Rastafarians that they are unapologetically claiming their space in the community and will remain standing by their convictions.

After having asserted himself as a Trinidadian ambassador of reggae, Prophet Benjamin a couple years ago made his entry into the soca arena with his runaway hit, “Throw Wine.” Since then Prophet Benjamin has released other soca and chutney soca singles such as, “No Lokani,” “The Seamstress” and “No Prophet.”