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London Reggae & Food Festival celebrates 64th Jamaican Independence this August



London’s love affair with reggae, dancehall and Caribbean culture takes centre stage this August as the London Reggae & Food Festival returns with a special Jamaican Independence celebration, bringing together legendary sound systems, celebrated DJs, live performers and some of the capital’s best Caribbean street food traders.





Taking place on Saturday 8th August from 3pm until 10pm at Riverside East, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the one-day festival celebrates the rich musical and culinary heritage of Jamaica, marking the nation’s Independence with an unforgettable day of music, food and community.


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Leading the bill are Saxon Sound, one of the UK’s most iconic reggae sound systems. Formed in South London in the late 1970s, Saxon became pioneers of the British sound system movement, helping launch the careers of legendary artists including Tippa Irie, Smiley Culture and Maxi Priest. Their influence on UK reggae and dancehall culture remains unrivalled, with decades of heavyweight clashes and festival performances cementing their legendary status.





Joining them is BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Seani B, one of the UK’s most respected ambassadors for reggae, dancehall and Caribbean music. Renowned for introducing audiences to the biggest names in dancehall while championing emerging talent, Seani B has spent more than two decades broadcasting globally and performing at festivals and clubs around the world.





Also taking to the decks are DJ Nate & English Fire, one of London’s most exciting reggae and dancehall DJ partnerships, known for high-energy sets that seamlessly blend reggae classics, bashment, Afrobeats and contemporary Caribbean sounds.




The line-up is completed by rising stars Izzy Bossy, whose infectious blend of dancehall and Afrobeats continues to build momentum across the UK scene, Shayna Marie, celebrated for her soulful vocals and contemporary reggae influences, Vybz-SR, bringing fresh dancehall energy to the festival, and Tugzy Onpoint, whose versatile performances have made him one of the capital’s exciting emerging Caribbean artists.

Away from the stage, visitors can feast on an incredible selection of authentic Caribbean street food traders, serving everything from jerk chicken and curry goat to plantain, patties and rum punch throughout the day. Combined with a massive outdoor festival space and rooftop terrace overlooking Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the event offers one of London’s ultimate summer celebrations of Caribbean culture.

London Reggae & Food Festival promises world-class music, authentic food and an unbeatable atmosphere as the capital comes together to celebrate Jamaican Independence.



Blakkwuman22 Music Releases LFM’s New Single “Freedom of Choice”


 

Inspirational reggae artist LFM has a new single, “Freedom of Choice,” available now on all major digital music platforms courtesy of Blakkwuman22 Music.




The song, which was written and produced by SheltaRock (formerly known as Karamanti), conveys a potent message about the transformative relationship people can have with the Most High when they deliberately choose a path of faith and righteousness over ego and evil. Freedom of Choice inspires listeners to acknowledge the strength of individual choice and spiritual development with its intentional lyrics and authentic reggae sound.



The collaboration between SheltaRock and LFM came together earlier this year after the two were introduced through a mutual music connection. Having already written the song, SheltaRock was searching for an artist who could genuinely capture its message and emotion. LFM’s energy and vocal performance proved to be the perfect fit.


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“Freedom of Choice” forms part of “The Freedom Project,” a reggae music initiative produced by SheltaRock. The track was recorded and mixed at Prosonic Studio in Hughenden and offers a preview of the highly anticipated “Freedom Riddim,” which is scheduled for release in the coming weeks.


Fans can stream or download “Freedom of Choice” on all major digital music platforms via https://ffm.to/lfm-freedom-of-choice. Distribution is being handled internally by Blakkwuman22 Music.


B L A K K W U M A N 2 2   M U S I C

Record Label, Publishing House & Digital Music Distribution

Ganggoolie Comes With a Bruised, Cautionary Record Oon “Don’t Judge, ”


 
Ganggoolie comes with a bruised, cautionary record on “Don’t Judge, ” a dancehall single that plays like a reminder to look past the surface and the gossip that comes with street life. The cut sits in the artist’s lane: direct, topical, and built for listeners who want message music with a sharp edge rather than anything overly polished. His name has long been tied to Jamaican dancehall that moves between social commentary and raw party energy, and this song keeps that balance in view.



The production credit goes to De Boss Entertainment, a name that places the single squarely in the contemporary independent dancehall circuit. The beat has that lean, driving feel that leaves space for the vocals to land hard, with a riddim pattern that feels ready for juggling and sound system play. Ganggoolie rides it with a plainspoken delivery that suits the message, sounding more concerned with conviction than ornament.




Released in 2026, “Don’t Judge” fits naturally beside the kind of streetwise singles that have kept Ganggoolie in the conversation. It is less about glossy crossover appeal than about attitude, pressure, and the everyday need to defend your name before the crowd gets it wrong.




BOOK CLUB PICK: The Complete Guide to Reggae Production and History: Ska · Rocksteady · Roots · Dub · Dancehall · DJ



Want to capture that warm, deep, authentic reggae sound in your home studio? This comprehensive studio reference covers every aspect of recording reggae music — from the drum and bass foundation of roots reggae to the electronic production techniques of modern dancehall. 


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Written by a working studio musician and producer, this guide gives you the exact microphone placements, signal chains, plugin settings, and mixing workflows used to achieve professional results. Inside you'll find: instrument-by-instrument recording chapters (drums, bass, guitar, organ, horns, vocals), 60+ years of genre history from Federal Studios Kingston to today, key player profiles, complete parameter reference tables for studio hardware and plugins, and mastering chains tuned specifically for reggae's demanding low-end requirements.\



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From Federal Studios Kingston to the Modern Home Studio.





THIS RED HOT BRAND NEW RIDDIM IS A GUARANTEE TO BE IN TOUR PLAYLISTS...


 

Stingray Records keeps doing what it has done for years: pairing roots-minded singers with a clean, modern reggae framework that still leaves room for old-school melody and weight. The UK-based label, founded in 1994 by the McLeod brothers, has long been known for conscious reggae and careful studio craft, with Carlton McLeod handling the production side that has kept the Stingray name active across albums, singles, and riddim packages.



Run Run Riddim is a 2026 set, and it lands with a plainly melodic, singer-friendly feel rather than a hard dancehall push. The title cut from George Nooks gives it its name and tone, while Luciano’s Gunman brings the most direct roots message on the project. Stevie Face’s Can’t Go Round It adds the kind of warm, tuneful phrasing he has made his calling card, and Mikey General’s Do What You Wanna Do sits comfortably in that same conscious lane. The flow stays measured and open, with enough bass weight and forward movement to keep the versions rolling without crowding the vocals.




The lineup is stronger for the mix of veteran voices. George Nooks brings the gravitas of an artist with decades behind him, Luciano adds his familiar Rastafarian conviction, and Delly Ranx appears in a more melodic mood on High Grade. Conrad Crystal and Sugar Roy’s Crisis adds a duet dynamic that gives the riddim a little extra movement, while Tenna Star’s Zion In A Vision and Debbie Gordon’s Mind Blowing help widen the palette. This is the kind of Stingray release that plays like a proper juggling set: voiced by singers who know exactly how to sit inside a groove.





STREAMING WITH YOU




We broadcast globally 24/7 .... 365 and have been for over a decade. We  have embedded players on our web pages, in our radio lounge, on 15 affiliate websites  and broadcast live from TIC TOC.  That's reaching out to a lot of reggae enthusiasts. Our service provider furnishes  a cumulative report from all the disbursed media players and here's the top 25 countries who tuned in the past 7 days.

The first graph reports  the top countries who hit that >> GO BUTTON<<< and tuned in. The second graph reports who tuned in for the longest period of time per session!  This is the NATION family!!!!  The people we love and respect.  Thank you for  hitting that dial and staying locked .....









And here is what we were all listening to :

Listen on Online Radio Box! Shyrick Dancehall RadioShyrick Dancehall Radio








BLAST FROM PAST: The Original Selector Jah Screw with Herb Base Function



Hare is an early-digital deejay dancehall killer featuring JAH SCREW.  


TRACK LIST

Fire Fire
Glad Say Me Come
Cry
What A Gwaan
Shocking Colour

No Stop Say So
Herb Base Function
Don't Worry Yourself
Trash And Ready
Gwaan Down Inna Ethiopia


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Jah Screw started in the music business in the second half of the 1970s working as a selector on the Echo Vibration, Ray Symbolic, and (U-Roy's) King Stur-Gav Hi-Fi sound systems. By 1980, he had begun working as a record producer, initially working with his friend from sound system days, Ranking Joe, and they set up the Sharp Axe label together.  The success from the label, with hots such as "Ice Cream Style" and the album Armageddon, was enough encouragement for Jah Screw to set up his own label, Time One Records.

 



“Roadside, ” A Straight-to-the-Point Dancehall Cut


 

Deep Jahi comes back in familiar form on “Roadside, ” a straight-to-the-point dancehall cut that keeps his name where it belongs: front and center, with the message doing as much work as the melody. The song fits the lane he has spent years carving out, where street pressure, survival talk and uplift sit side by side. He has long been one of those voices who can move from conscious commentary to hard-edged dancehall without losing his identity, and that balance is what has kept him relevant since his breakthrough years in Jamaica’s televised clash circuit and the run of positive records that followed.



Born Rushane Sanderson in St Mary, Deep Jahi first drew wider attention after winning Magnum Kings and Queens of the Dancehall in 2012, then reinforced that early promise with songs like “I Love JA, ” “Life Goes On” and “Motivation. ” That background matters on a track like this, because he is at his best when the writing feels lived-in rather than forced. “Roadside” sits comfortably in that tradition. The title alone suggests a familiar space in Jamaican storytelling: the corner, the stance, the watchful eye on everyday hustle and the hazards that come with it.





The production comes through Prestigious Muzik, a name that has been attached to a recent run of dancehall singles in 2026, and the release is dated to the same year. That places “Roadside” in a current stream of independent reggae and dancehall output rather than as a one-off throwback. It reads like a record made for the selector and the streaming crowd alike: concise, focused, and built for immediate replay. For Deep Jahi, that kind of song still feels natural. He has never needed to oversell the message; he just has to land it with conviction.



Yaksta – The Microphone Saved Me Album


 

Yaksta turns The Microphone Saved Me into more than a title; it plays like a personal statement from an artist who has spent the last few years moving between roots consciousness, dancehall muscle, and a more melodic, reflective space. The album arrived in 2026 through Bush Music, with Yaksta operating independently after a prior label run, and that context matters because the record feels self-directed and purpose-driven rather than assembled to chase a trend. It sits right in the lane he has been carving out since breaking wider with songs that balance uplift, social commentary, and street-level realism.




The songs trace different shades of that story. “Roar” and “The Return” have the kind of commanding energy that suits an artist reintroducing himself with force, while “It’s Okay” softens the edges with a more reassuring tone and a brighter, more accessible feel. Elsewhere, “Through It All, ” “Thankful, ” and “Life” push the album into more lived-in territory, with Yaksta sounding like someone working through struggle, faith, and survival rather than just performing slogans. “Splinters In My Heart” and “For Sale” move the project toward sharper emotional and social commentary, and “For Sale” with Silk Boss adds a harder dancehall contrast that keeps the album from settling into one mood for too long.





What gives the project its shape is Yaksta’s delivery: clean, urgent, and often written like he is talking directly to people who know the pressure he is describing. He comes out of St. Mary and has built his name as one of the more visible younger Jamaican voices mixing reggae’s message with dancehall’s bite. The Microphone Saved Me sounds like a statement of survival, but also a claim that the music itself remains the thing holding him together.






A DELIGHTFUL BRASS ATTACK - CHECK OUT THIS EARCANDY....

 



Topp Brass is a standout brass ensemble established in 2017, which brings a delightful blend of classic charm and contemporary vibes to the vibrant music scene of Jamaica. With each member infusing their own unique style, this quartet captivates audiences with their exceptional talent and dynamic performances, making every moment on stage an unforgettable experience. Led by Oshane Love on the tenor saxophone, Deshaun Fender on the alto saxophone, Randy Fletcher on the trombone, and Okiel McIntyre on the trumpet.




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CONQUERING LION RECORDS DROPS A RED HOT RIDDIM: VICTORY RIDDIM ... CHECK IT OUT NOW!


Conquering Lion Records has been carving out a very conscious corner of modern reggae for years, and Victory Riddim fits neatly into that lane. The label has already linked its name to releases from Hempress Sativa, Xana Romeo, Ras Malekot and others, often pairing roots-minded songwriting with sharp, digital-age clean engineering and dub-ready arrangements. Victory Riddim lands in 2026 as part of that same run of spiritually charged, message-heavy productions, with the familiar emphasis on meditation, resistance and uplift rather than throwaway party energy.



What makes the set work is the balance between singers who approach the rhythm from different angles. Xana Romeo brings the kind of commanding, militant presence that has made her one of the more reliable modern roots voices out of Jamaica, and Hotta The Battle sounds like the sort of cut that can carry a whole juggling sequence on its own. T’Jean, who comes from deep music lineage as the son of producer Mikie Bennett, has been building a reputation for soulful, conscious reggae and his Hosanna should slot naturally into the riddim’s prayerful side. Kumar Fyah, the former Raging Fyah frontman, is another strong fit; his voice has always had that warm, steady pull that makes uplift songs land without strain, which suits a title like Victory.




Jelliss and Jah Izrehl keep the message rooted in straight confrontation, with Red Eye and Babylon A Wicked sounding like classic roots phrases for calling out envy and oppression. Birdz-I adds another layer of female energy and clarity, while Jallanzo, better known as a producer, engineer and dub-minded guitarist, doubles as a voice on the project and gives the set a dub-rooted authority that many riddims miss. Quan Nelson closes things out with Burning Bridges, a title that suggests severing toxic ties rather than just chanting slogans.





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