New music
In the 1900s, the Alpha Boys School for “wayward” youth in Kingston received a donation of brass instruments from a Jamaican Roman Catholic Bishop. Placed in the hands of jazz-loving Sister Mary Ignatius Davies, this collection of trumpets, saxophones and trombones transformed the school into a hub of Jamaican musical creativity.
Sister Mary nurtured the talents of dozens of schoolboys who would go on to make music history. Alumni include founding members of the pioneering ska band, The Skatalites, dancehall legend Yellowman, and trombonist Rico Rodriguez, who played with The Specials. The Alpha Boys School is often regarded as the genesis of Jamaica’s enduring musical legacy, which is proudly showcased in events like reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay.
The Caribbean’s largest reggae festival, Reggae Sumfest celebrates legends alongside emerging artists, drawing thousands of music lovers from around the world. Currently in its 31st edition, the festival spans seven days with eight events, including parties, a sound system battle and a rum festival, culminating in a two-day music event.
Wednesday’s Sound Clash is an earth-shattering event based on decibels alone; where different sound systems—mobile discos—war it out in a Jamaican tradition that dates back to the 1950s, when producers like Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid and Prince Buster vied for audiences by playing exclusive records in a live showdown. Sumfest’s Clash welcomes international sound systems from Germany and Japan to compete alongside Jamaican ones. The crowd decides who wins based on a chorus of applause and shrieking vuvuzelas. It’s the loudest event that this Clash journalist has ever attended, which stretched until the early morning hours when Japanese-Jamacian couple Bad Gyal Marie and Little Shabba, took the crown with their Notorious sound system.
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At Thursday’s Rumfest, local rum brands like Appleton, Hampden, Monymusk, and Wray & Nephew offered their spicy tastings while dancehall legend Beenie Man performed. He started an hour late due to a lengthy setup by a live orchestra, which didn’t really vibe with his bombastic songs—although encore ‘Rum & Redbull’ was a fun and fitting close to the rum-soaked evening.
If the previous events didn’t make it clear that Sumfest doesn’t run on time, Friday certainly did. In conversation with CLASH, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett compared the Sumfest experience to a game of dominoes, where “one just gets lost in time.” It’s a very Caribbean festival, moving to its own rhythm—offbeat, off schedule, and best enjoyed without a watch.
YG Marley began his set around 1:15 am with his legendary grandfather’s image in the backdrop. It wouldn’t really be a reggae festival without someone from the Marely dynasty performing—and YG represents the promise of the incoming third generation. His first single, ‘Praise Jah in The Moonlight’, has racked up tens of millions of streams—but he doesn’t have much other work to fall back on. His vocals are strong, yet he has yet to nurture an onstage charisma as he cooly shuffles around the emcee, paying more attention to his blunt than his crowd.
Thankfully his superstar mother Ms. Lauryn Hill is on hand as a surprise invite: “This song was recorded here in Jamaica,” said Ms. Hill, before launching into track ‘Lost Ones’— her deep connection to the island present in her warmth and dedication to the audience. Her renditions of Fugee classics including ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’, and ‘Ready Or Not’ were spine-tingling; propelling classic tracks to even greater heights onstage. Mother and son ran way past stage time to end the set with an impromptu acapella of ‘No Woman No Cry’, the Fugee cover of Bob’s classic; a special moment for the music history books.
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Dancehall lover man Dexta Daps offered a gyration-heavy performance; proving the ‘Shabba Madda Pot’ singer’s seductive charisma onstage. Soca-infused Aidonia took to the stage at a staggering 04.45 am, with the artist successfully mustering everything he could to pep up the tiring crowd with his infectious energy. Billed acts including Jada Kingdom and Valiant did not perform—inexcusably, the crowd was never updated on their no-shows. The majority stuck it out for reggae godfather Capleton—who took the somewhere around 06.00 am, but admittedly Clash had already retreated to bed.
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Day Two mercifully started a little earlier. Fresh from an appearance in the Bob Marley biopic One Love, Savana’s blissful R&B-tinged reggae was a soothing way to ease into the night. She was followed by Nigyboy, a 22-year-old blind dancehall upstart who is attracting huge buzz in Jamaica. His set featured a giant dancing robot and a fantasy space theme, with his backing dancers gently guiding him to different spots on stage. The theatrics aren’t necessary—Nigyboy’s vocals are astounding, and his energy lives up to the hype. This was followed by a cool set from lovers rock veteran Beres Hammond, who led mass singalongs to his hits ‘Rock Away’ and ‘Tempted to Touch’, with a heartwarming, beaming smile.
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One of the few non-Jamaican performers was legendary U.S. R&B producer and 13-time Grammy Award winner, Babyface. Standout moments included a rendition of hits he wrote for others, including Boyz II Men’s ‘End of the Road’ and a medley from TLC’s ‘CrazySexyCool’. CLASH wasn’t the only one that struggled with the nocturnal sets—Babyface joked about Jamaica’s late-night habits: “I’m tired! I’m 66 and not used to these 2:00 am shows,”; yet still managed a memorable show of crowd-pleasers.
Sumfest was a jubilantly exhausting and gleefully disorienting experience in a Caribbean paradise. Speaking to CLASH, the chairman of Jamaica’s tourism board, John Lynch, stressed the importance of the festival as a standout international music event. “Jamaica is the birthplace of reggae, which has become increasingly important to people across the world,” he said. “The quality of the show here is superior to anywhere else.”
Jamaica’s contribution to reggae and ska music, as well as the genres’ offshoots (dancehall, reggaeton, jungle, and drum and bass), is immeasurable. As Island Records founder Chris Blackwell—who signed superstar Jamaican musicians including Bob Marley and Grace Jones—notes in his 2022 autobiography, Jamaica “itself (is) a kind of artist.” To witness Jamaican music in its homeland is a schooling in music history, showcasing the roots and evolution of genres that have influenced the world.
This week, the UK will welcome the bigger and almost certainly more punctual reggae festival, Reggae Land—but what’s reggae without a bit of homegrown irie? The glorious chaos and colour of Jamaica is what makes Sumfest a must-go experience. Sure, it runs for wild hours throughout the night for an entire week— but napping on the beach in the daytime is a pretty good way to recover.
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Sumfest 2025 is scheduled for 13th – 19th July 2025, with direct Virgin Atlantic flights from Heathrow to Montego Bay. For more information, visit Visit Jamaica and check out Reggae Sumfest.
Words: Charis McGowan
Photography: Esirom
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