Jamaican Music and Food Festival
(The Ultimate Family Summer Reggae Day Out)
Since 2006, The Jamaican Music & Food Festival has been the pinnacle of Jamaican culture in Australia. Pioneered by renowned Jamaican DJ Stick Mareebo of Stick Mareebo Productions, this event brings together two of the best imports of Jamaica to Australia; Music & Food.
A family-friendly event taking place under the Australian skies, this music & food festival attracts over 7000 people who come together to celebrate the culinary adventure and culture of the Jamaican people.
The main idea set behind the whole event was to try and address the common Australian misconceptions about Jamaicans alongside bringing back unity in the country. This event is about bringing people together in a way never experienced before, if you have never attended.
The Jamaican Music & Food Festival brings together some of the best DJs, artists, MCs, and sound systems with the best Jamaican food Australia has to offer. All this takes place in one location where vendors are chosen for authentic flavors to show off what the Caribbean country is actually made of.
A combination of food and music, each year, the event organizers aim to take the festival a step deeper into the Jamaican way. This year, the hosts set the 12th of March as the date for the event, which took place at the popular Seawork’s venue, Williamstown. Tickets were sold by the numbers and as anticipated, the event took off with some amazing showcase of food choice, activities, dance and 100% local artists that carried the Jamaican sound of Reggae, dub, rocksteady, and dancehall music throughout the day.
In collaboration with the native-born Jamaican promoters currently living within and outside of Australia, DJ Stick Mareebo and co-principal DJ Zare Demus pioneered the beginning of the Caribbean-themed event. They have spread the idea to the local city government in Melbourne and other surrounding cities. Many people flock to this event to experience an amazing display of Jamaican culture in its raw form.
Jamaican parties are widely known to many for taking place in a dingy place, and people always come with no dress code at all. Some people also think the food from Jamaica is just spicy and has no unique heritage. Well – The good news is there is a way to break that stereotype through an event such as this.
The Jamaican Music & Food Festival show hosts
- DJ STICK MAREEBO
DJ Stick Mareebo is one of Melbourne’s iconic Deejays. With over 20+ years in Deejaying, the prodigy has played at several nightclubs in Melbourne and Jamaica. Some of the most famous places he has been at include; Tom Thumb, The Australian Grand Prix, The Metro, The Prince Band Room, Hard Rock Cafe, Heat nightclub at Crown, and Bar Rouge. DJ Stick has also been a resident DJ at all Wine Quest events at Rochford Winery in the Yarra Valley, including the annual Cuban Jazz Festival, Grape Grazing Festival, Salsa Beats, and the annual Rhythm and Vines festival.
With so much experience in holding up the party, Stick collaborated with DJ Zare to bring the Jamaican experience under the summer skies of Australia. His ability to get your party going regardless of who you came with is expected wherever he is.
- DJ ZARE DEMUS
DJ Zare Demus is an internationally experienced Jamaican-born deejay hailing in Australia, whose experience of over 20+ years in deejaying has impacted the game positively.
As one of the co-pioneers of the Jamaican music & food festival, Zare has connected with so many upcoming and renowned Reggae artists worldwide and in other genres prevalent in Jamaican culture. His contribution to the Australian music scene has been noted through so many events in clubs, pubs, and street carnivals.
Profound musicians from Melbourne, all-around Australia, and the rest of the world usually come together to celebrate the unique sounds of Reggae, dancehall, dub, rocksteady, and many other genres showcased at the JMFF. The experience is usually unmatched. All performances at the event carry the benchmark of Jamaica’s authentic music culture and life of the party.
Artists that have embraced this event in the past
The JMFF has been a stage of talent since the beginning. This event has hosted some of the best in Reggae, Dancehall, rocksteady, and dub.
With a long lineup of artists usually set to feature on the event, the hosts are generally intentional with what kind of message they want to send out. Performers are traditionally selected critically and allowed to perform their sets on one of the stages available at the event. Everything is done in a family-friendly fashion; hence both children and adults can enjoy the event in its maximum capacity.
Part of the stars that have embraced the JMFF stage include; Bob Simon, Ras Jahknow, Quashani Bahd, Shottaz, Disun Future, Dub Provider, Miss Fee, Lady Banton, Lady Erica, PBS 106.7 FM presenter “Jesse I,” and so many other renowned artists.
What to expect at the JMFF
To beat FOMO, it might be a positive move to check out this event at least once in your lifetime. Apart from the diverse music genres and talented acts that are usually performing at the event, the hosts also include over thirty vendors to choose from, who are setting up to provide the authentic Jamaican-born dishes along with African inspired dishes, also having other compliments like; Drinks sold at bar prices, Ethnic Streetwear, Fashion, and style stalls.
Some culinary dishes usually prepared at the JMFF include: Curry goat, jerk chicken, Callaloo and fried dumplings, plantains, and Breakfast smoothies served Reggae style. Whether it’s for children’s fun or your own personal pleasure, the event is always organized with so much fun to tap from. Happening occasionally during the summer season in the heart of Melbourne, there is nothing that can come between your fun, outfit, and experience.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-_6AQO0kVAm2fp5Lp7BalQ for Exclusive Video, Copyright March 2022
