Son of Tobago soil but based in Trinidad, Oscar Benjamin (Oscar B) will have star billing when the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival is held on Thursday, at Trelawny Stadium. In spite of his heavy Carnival schedule, Benjamin has managed to carve out space to share the stage with a number of popular reggae artistes with his band Vibes.
Benjamin is no stranger to Jamaica and soca fans over there as he was a frontline singer of Byron Lee & The Dragonaires for many years, producing several hits including Do the Bogle. Among the artistes on the billing with Benjamin are Errol Dunkley, George Nooks, Judy Mowatt, Cornell Campbell, vocal group The Tamlins and DJ Josey Wales, accompanied by Lloyd and Parks and We The People Band.
Organisers of the event have tapped some of the best roots rock reggae stalwarts to present a Tribute to the Late John Holt on Thursday night. Few singers have influenced generations of reggae acts than John Holt, the consummate lovers rock artiste.
Holt died in October in London at age 69, leaving a remarkable catalogue of music. That legacy will be recognised on opening night of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival on January 29. Each artiste will dedicate part of their set to Holt.'s enduring career and massive cache of hit songs influenced the selection of acts on opening night. Holt hailed from Greenwich Town, a fishing community in Kingston with a rich music heritage. He set the pace for other singers from the area by winning the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour contest multiple times in the 1950s while still a student at Calabar High School. He had numerous hits in the rocksteady era with harmony trio, The Paragons (On the Beach, The Tide is High and Danger in Your Eyes), before going on to an even more successful solo career.
The 2015 staging of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival will actually be held over three nights, ending on January 31. This year's festival will feature extraordinary acts such as the multi grammy-award winning vocalist Mariah Carey, the Pointer Sisters, 2014 Billboard Chart toppers Magic, former lead singer of Chicago and soloist Peter Cetera, R&B soul icon Charlie Wilson, North American-based Reggae band Soja, acclaimed Barbadian saxophonist Arturo Tappin, Roots Reggae group Morgan Heritage, Reggae Crooner and Richie "Ska Teck" Stephens.