Junior Reid opens entertainment centre in Kingston
Calls for establishment of more live bands
Published:Wednesday | December 28, 2022 | 12:51 AMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer
With the entertainment sector reopened in full force, there is a greater need for venues that can host musicians, artistes and their supporting bands for live music, and several industry professionals have answered the call. A month ago, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange announced the imminent 2023 reopening of the Jamworld Entertainment Complex in Portmore, which has become the property of her ministry. She anticipates that it will be “one of the greatest entertainment complexes” people will bear witness to on this side of the world.
Veteran reggae-dancehall musician Junior Reid is also turning a space in the Kingston and St Andrew into an entertainment centre. He believes that for Jamaica to uphold its reputation as a musical Mecca, there must be more locations – and those that feature live music.
“The world recognises Jamaica for the talent it puts out and the music, but we do not have enough spaces or places where people can go and be entertained by live music or musicians. I want to be able to provide that, one where musicians can just go to and jam,” Reid told The Gleaner.
He has established the Junior Reid Entertainment Centre at 39B Eastwood Park Road and has hosted a few events, including One Blood Wednesdays and Reggae Music Live in the City every Friday.
Reid shared, “The whole foundation was set up years ago, but now I’m turning it into a centre where we have an in-house band and where if anyone wants to have live music, they are welcome to. They can also come with their own bands, but I realise we don’t have much of those either that can provide live entertainment. It doesn’t look good for our music or our country when we don’t have these kinds of spaces.”
The Junior Reid Entertainment Centre has welcomed the likes of Josey Wales, Major Mackerel, Jigsy King, Admiral Tibet, Uton Green, Lloyd Parks and We The People Band, and Junior Cat, among others. He is urging other music professionals to establish or invest in entertainment centres across the island, noting that “it’s good for the people”.
“That’s my contribution to the music,” he said, adding, “we want to be able to see more people out together enjoying our music and inspire unity and love because we need real love.”
Junior Reid, whose given name is Delroy Reid, is best known for songs such as Higgler Move; One Blood, which has been sampled by the hip hop and R&B communities, and Foreign Mind. He recently released a rendition of reggae icon Johnny Osbourne’s No Ice Cream Sound, a single he has named No Ice Cream Love featuring Wada Blood, which echoes his cry for “real love” among men and women.
“Ice cream melts away, and too much sweet is not good. That’s all I’m saying. Love has to be warmer more than a dark chocolate fudge. We need more love in our city, in our country,” Reid offered.