Podcaster upbeat about dancehall’s resurgence

New York-based podcaster and entrepreneur Kerry Ann Brown has opined that dancehall's resurgence as a live music behemoth in New York augurs well for the future of the genre in the US.

"The New York entertainment scene is always exciting because of the love of reggae and dancehall from the diverse cultures in our city, but there is a new level of excitement in 2025," said Brown, CEO of Kerry Ann Brown Music Promotions.

"Bounty Killer, Beenie Man and Vybz Kartel...all three entertainers helped to bring back the excitement to the dancehall scene...all three concerts were sold out, people came out to see them after almost a decade of them not being here to perform. Right now, it's like a breath of fresh air in New York. Plus Kartel is coming back for Labour Day; three times the charm in New York," Brown said.

Brown has built up a solid reputation as a social media influencer with her podcast, which is broadcast on her own YouTube channel. According to her, since the successful run of concerts, New York City has been bubbling with excitement.

"New York sets the tone. This city is the melting pot of various different cultures but there is a love for Jamaican music here in New York that is unmatched anywhere else in the diaspora," she said.

"Selling out Barclays Center is a massive win not only for all three artistes but for dancehall as a whole. It proves the genre is now arena-worthy, capable of pulling international crowds like pop and hip-hop artistes, and that the dancehall brand is on par with other major genres in terms of appeal and pulling power," she said.

The excitement has triggered a multiplier effect in terms of club attendances, streaming numbers and liquor sales, while showing that the Caribbean diaspora wields significant spending power in that state.

'I have friends from different cultures that are now asking to book more reggae or dancehall artistes for their events," she said. Clubs such as The Compound, Mingles Nightclub in the Bronx and the Amazura nightclub in Queens, New York have been popping with Caribbean events in soca and dancehall and reggae genres.

Top flight names such as Alkaline, Shenseea, Capleton, Elephant Man and Mr Vegas are also scheduled to perform at the Reggae Fest Massive in Brooklyn on August 30.