'SOUL TO SOUL' RETURNS TO THE BRONX

Fresh off a top performance in the Bronx at the recent 'House Of Leo Reunion' dance, selector Rory Stone Love will return to burn on November 2nd at La Roose on White Plains Rd in the Bronx, NY for the highly anticipate 'Soul to Soul' party.

Rory will be joined by DJ Roy from Road International and Vybz Impact.

Roy is a mainstay of the NY party scene. He launched his career with Road International back in 1982, djaying at clubs and hosting his own parties. Road International has since cornered the club scene and are ‘el numero uno’ in the boat ride market, playing at numerous boat rides during the summer.

Roy is also an award winning broadcaster on Irie Jam Radio, 93.5 FM in the tri-state area. Rory is arguably one of the most influential djs in Jamaican pop culture. He too launched his career in 1982, while still a student at Calabar High School in Kingston. Today he is a household name globally. Outside out of selecting, Rory is a credible producer having worked on projects with singers Nadine Sutherland and Jah 9 and having produced some of the classic dub plates in the sound system business. "One of the beauty about Jamaicans is that we love our reggae and dancehall music but we reserve a special place in our hearts for soul music. This was the motivation for hosting this Soul to Soul party at La Roose," Face Full Blast told INL.

"For this event we brought in the legendary Rory Stone Love from Jamaica and DJ Roy from right here in New York, two of the best in the business. We then added Vybz Impact to the mix. Expect to hear songs like 'Reasons,' 'Kiss & Say Goodbye,' 'Stairway To Heaven,' 'Killing Me Softly,' 'Shining Star,' 'Hurt', 'It Feels So Good To Be Loved So Bad' and other lovey-dovey softy songs that you have heard in a long time. These selectors know good soul music and they certainly know how to entertain fans which is the perfect recipe for having a grand time" he shared.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN IN REGGAE 3rd ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

New York based International Women In Reggae (IWIR) will celebrate their 3rd anniversary as a collective on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at Basquiat's Bottle in Brooklyn. IWIR are powerful and talented women from different parts of the world who came together because of their love for reggae. Formed in 2017, the all female reggae band quickly won the hearts of fans as their fusing of different cultural backgrounds, gave them a unique sound as they presented a strong blend of reggae, R&B, a touch of Rock and Funk, and an exotic Jazz overtone. IWIR have shared the stage with Jack Radics, Culture and Kenyatta Hill, Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt and Ken Boothe.

Performers at the IWIR 3rd anniversary celebration include Chiney Kiki, A'ilia, Saskia and Queen Mesha. IWIR will treat fans to a collage of hits songs and introduced new music as these talented females showcase their amazing artistry as seasoned entertainers and capable musicians.

Recognition awards will be presented at the event to business entrepreneur, Andrea Bullens of BullZii Marketing LLC and the Westchester Reggae Festival for years of dedicated service to the reggae fraternity through marketing and event production.

Broadcast journalist, Francine Chin will also be honored for years of dedicated service to the reggae fraternity.

ISSA TRUST FOUNDATION ASSISTS KIDS IN JAMAICA

The Issa Trust Foundation earlier this year hosted a mammoth outdoor concert featuring Australian soft rock band Air Supply, Third World and reggae rising star Koffee at Couples Sans Souci in Ocho Rios, St Ann, Jamaica. The aimed was to raise US$200,000 for the pediatric wards of Annotto Bay and Savanna-la-Mar hospitals in St Ann and Westmoreland, respectively.

The Issa Trust Foundation headed by Paul Issa and Diane Pollard is back to their giving ways, launching their Vision Mission 2019 on October 7 at the Oracabessa Church of God in St. Mary with free eye exams and prescription glasses for kids as young as 6 months old to 22 year old young adults. This 5 year old initiative by the Foundation was done along with the Lions Club of Michigan here in the US.

"We are thankful to our partners and volunteers and have a longstanding commitment in advancing healthcare in Jamaica providing critical help island wide with life saving pharmaceuticals and equipment" Pollard disclosed. On October 3rd, the Foundation donated a computer lab to the Three Hills Primary School in St Mary with funds raised from Couples Resorts Charity Golf Tournament.

CARIBBEAN DIASPORA TO HOST “DAY OF GIVING” MEDIATHON IN SUPPORT OF HURRICANE AFFECTED ISLANDS

New York: The Caribbean community across the United States will host a Day of Giving mediathon on Saturday October 26th in support of the islands of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas recently devastated by Hurricane Dorian.

Building on the success of the 2017 Caribbean Day of Giving (CDOG) initiative which raised over US$40,000 in cash, the 2019 mediathon is an all-day effort to mobilize the Caribbean Diaspora and friends of the Caribbean to donate to the relief efforts. Through a growing list of participating media partners including Irie Jam Radio 93.5FM/IrieJam 360 and One Caribbean Television, monetary donations will be raised to support displaced residents of the affected islands. In addition to music, programs will feature interviews with Caribbean Government officials as well as representatives of CARICOM, Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) among other agencies who will share their first- hand experiences with the devastating impact of climate change, and provide updates on the relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts. Ambassadors, Consuls General, elected officials, notable personalities, and community leaders will be present to encourage the community and friends of the Caribbean to give to this effort.

“The catastrophic impact and frequency of recent Atlantic storms such as Hurricane Dorian is sadly the reality of the impact of climate change on our Caribbean islands" lead coordinator, Dr. Omyma David disclosed.

"Each time, our diaspora and friends of the Caribbean responds immediately with tremendous goodwill; however, the road to recovery is long and costly. Caribbean Day of Giving helps to build a culture of giving over the long-term” she noted.

The humanitarian initiative has received the endorsement and support of the New York CARICOM Consular Corps and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams among others.

Monetary donations during the 2019 mediathon will go directly to the Caribbean Day of Giving (CDOG) charity partners, namely: the Bahamian American Association Inc. (BAAI) in New York City,American Foundation of the University of the West Indies (AFUWI) and the Sandals Foundation. The relief efforts will benefit several agencies actively on the ground in the Bahamas including CDEMA, HeadKnowles Bahamas, Hands for Hunger and Samaritan’s Purse.

Caribbean diaspora and friends of the Caribbean are also encouraged to support ongoing hurricane relief drives organized across United States and join the #Caribbeandayofgiving #Caribbeandiasporagiving campaign.

Caribbean Day of Giving (CDOG) is organized by a Caribbean Diaspora Disaster Relief Coalition in response to recent devastating storms and the increasing vulnerability of our small island states. This growing alliance of community leaders across the Caribbean diaspora was organized to help build capacity and strengthen response to natural disasters in the Caribbean region by promoting a collective response to disaster relief among the Caribbean diaspora.

For more information please visit website: www.caribbeandayofgiving.com; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaribbeanDayofGiving; Twitter: @CariDayofGiving

MOONLIGHT PARTY IN OCHO RIOS TO FEATURE NYC CELEBRITY CHEF

At Buju Banton’s historic Long Walk To Freedom official after-party in March, New York Chef Omar Walters of Omar’s Kitchen, was flown to Jamaica to fête celebrities and fans attending the shindig at Liguanea Club in St Andrew.

Later this week, Walters will trek to Jamaica once again, this time for the Great Weekend Jamaica, in Ocho Rios, St Ann. Six exhilarating events are scheduled to unfold across three days – Friday, October 18 to Monday, October 21. The Moonlight Brunch, at which Walter’s culinary skills will be on display, is a New York-themed, fashion-focused, dinner party that will feature exotic foods and craft cocktails.

“With events, I usually come up with a special menu close to the day and customise it to the event. That’s when my creativity and skills kick in. The Moonlight Brunch in Jamaica is a special event for me, so I plan to create an experience that will be out of this world!” Walters promised.

He revealed that he has been involved with a number of innovative party and food combo events in the New York area, so this event is right up his street.

“We try to incorporate events for foodies as well as party seekers and combine them. We have a signature brunch called ‘Drunk at Breakfast,’ where we incorporate alcohol-infused foods paired with drinks. The brunch then leads into a day party so you can dance off the carbs! We are looking to take our events on a city-to-city tour someday,” he said

Walters, who lives in Yonkers, New York, was born in the USA to parents Maxine Greaves and Paul Walters. He moved to Mandeville at age seven and stayed there until he was 11. He says the values instilled in him by his parents and grandparents have laid the foundation for his current success.

“My parents are both Jamaicans. Growing up, they instilled in me that you have to work hard to achieve success. My grandmother, especially, would say, you can go play outside, but first you have to pick up the garbage that people would throw on the floor in front of the house. As a kid, I would never understand why I had to do such a task, but as I got older I understood”, he shared.

Since becoming a full-time chef, the former system and data analyst has been in high demand from celebrity clients, including R&B superstar Monica, Brandy, Kyle Lowry, Angela Simmons, Karen Civil and Ty Hunter.

“I really don’t consider myself a celebrity chef. I feel that once you start labelling yourself that way and you put yourself on a pedestal, you put a strain on your drive,” he told The Gleaner.