Sumfest 2018 introduces sponsors, artistes to New York

On Tuesday night, the Big Apple got a chance to meet the sponsors and artistes of this year's Reggae Sumfest at the New York launch of the concert, held at DL in lower Manhattan.In his remarks, founder and CEO of Downsound Records Josef Bogdanovich spoke about Jamaica's excellent track record in not just sports, but music, including reggae and dancehall."Reggae Sumfest is arguably the biggest reggae festival in the world - in terms of an audience base of over 65 million digital impressions, and close to a million visits to our YouTube channel [during] the weekend of the festival watching the stream, with another 100,000 videos from the festival currently being viewed. And it's generating hundreds of millions of added views to this festival today. This is a sign of where we must all go," he said. He emphasised the importance of promoting unity through music, adding that it's time to drive some sense into not only our families, but send a signal to the world that Jamaica is beating the drum hard for world peace and togetherness."The madness must stop! We at home must understand the power of our music, and to support the festival and others that support this message. To do this, we must understand the economics of survival.

"We at home should acknowledge that there is greater understanding or, should I say, 'over standing', that unity is one of the keys to survival. Stop the violence. Get educated. Get yourself together." He invited everyone to experience the World Clash on July at Pier 1 in Montego Bay, which returns after a five-year hiatus. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Irish and Chin's World Clash. Reggae Sumfest 2018 will run from July 15-22. Some of the most recognised names in Jamaican music have been confirmed, including Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley, Beres Hammond, Spice, and Popcaan.