Moon Author's Review
Live music and stage show performances in Kingston are not as frequent or varied as some would expect given the prominent role music plays in Jamaican life. Nonetheless, there are a handful of venues that feature somewhat regular acts. Stage shows are held routinely and there are large events at least once a month at Mas Camp Village, located on Oxford Road at the southern boundary of New Kingston. Jokers Wild and other promoters use the popular venue regularly. Mas Camp is a massive venue that holds occasional stage shows and has been the site for Bacchannal, Kingston's version of carnival, with parties every Friday from February to April. In 2009, Sandals boss Gordon "Butch" Stewart's Jamaica Observer newspaper announced the hotel chain would build a Sandals City on the site. The announcement was followed a few months later with news a Marriott would be brought to New Kingston, but a timeline for these developments was not defined. Neighbors don't appreciate the noise and have challenged use of the area as a concert venue, which could bode well for it being put to an alternate use. But if partygoers get their way, Mas Camp will be around for some time to come.
Village Café (20 Barbican Rd., tel. 876/970-4861) features live music at least once a week, typically on Tuesday. Usually the acts are of the obscure up-and-coming variety and draw a young crowd.
Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates (JAVAA) (7–9 Hagley Park Rd., Half Way Tree Entertainment Complex next to York Plaza, tel. 876/908-4464, www.javaa.com.jm) holds occasional shows at the Pegasus Hotel or smaller productions at other venues (admission typically US$15–20). JAVAA carries the torch for Jamaica's early music from the 1950s to the 1980s, from lovers' rock to rocksteady, ska, and roots reggae. The organization was formed to bring recognition and financial support to these artists, many of whom participated in the formation of Jamaican popular music, as they reach their golden years. Tickets are available from JAVAA members and at the JAVAA office.
