BILLBOARD- charting American reggae band Big Mountain is among the international acts featured on the Freedom Sound rhythm project by Donsome Records.

The project is due for release on September 17.

“Freedom Sound rhythm is the follow-up to our previous project, the Black Tears rhythm. Creatively, we felt that after the tears,we have to free ourselves. So, Freedom Sound is all about feeling free to be yourself,” producer Adrian “Donsome” Hanson told Jamaica Observer.

In addition to Big Mountain, the other international acts featured on the project are Marina Peralta from Brazil, Kings and Comrades from Philadelphia, Canada-based vocalist Ammoye, Pressure Buss Pipe from the US Virgin Islands, and King Tappa from New Jersey.

Good People by Chezidek, Stop and Smell the Roses by Ammoye, Rise to the Top by Kings and Comrades, Love Spell by King Tappa, No More Lies by Junior Kelly, I Give You Love by Mykal Rose, Freedom Fighters by Marina Peralta, Hear that Sound by Big Mountain, Fade Away by Lutan Fyah, and Greatest by Richie Spice are also on the set.

According to Hanson, the project took six months to complete and it wasn’t difficult to get the artistes involved in the project.

“I wanted to have artistes from the other side of the world who have been doing reggae with the same goal and fight that helped to birth reggae. Marina Peralta is from Brazil and she is one of the artistes who sings about the fight and struggles that we face daily,” he said.

“Anthony B, Lutan Fyah, Chezidek and Perfect Giddimani were on my last project so it wasn’t hard to get them on this one. I wanted to step out the box and bring different vibes to this project, hence the reason I decided to work with artistes such as Mykal Rose, Big Mountain, Marina Peralta, Junior Kelly, Pressure Buss Pipe and Kings and Comrades. I always give a couple new artistes the chance to showcase their talent, so King Tappa reached out to me at the right time and I’m really proud of his track,” he continued.

The first three singles — Likes of Jah by Pressure Buss Pipe, Want to be Free (Anthony B), and Good People (Johnny Be Good) by Chezidek and Perfect Giddimani — will be released digitally on Friday, September 10. The full project is to be released on September 17.

In recognizing the honour and prestige of this nomination Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Edmund Bartlett congratulated the JFDF team, “I am extremely delighted to learn that The Jamaica Food and Drink Festival has been nominated for the Caribbean’s Best Culinary Festival accolade by the World Culinary Awards 2021,” said Bartlett. 

He continued, “It is truly proof of how beloved our food is around the world and how valuable gastronomy tourism can be to our destination. Jamaica is undoubtedly worthy of this recognition as our delectable cuisine beautifully represents the island’s diverse culinary heritage and the spirit of the Jamaican people. I, therefore, congratulate the organizers of The Jamaica Food and Drink Festival on this achievement.” 

The award is not just a testimony to Jamaican cuisine but to the amazing experience that is the festival itself. The annual week-long celebration of gastronomy in Jamaica takes place during the last week in October and has grown significantly since its 2015 inception. Today the festival attracts visitors and international media alike and has become synonymous with culinary innovations offering everything from high-end wine pairing soirees and brunches in the cool Kingston hills to a family-style food market event in downtown Kingston. 

Commendations on the JFDF nomination are echoed by the Festival’s Title Sponsor, VISA. Waldemar Cordero, Head of Marketing Caribbean and Central America regions at Visa, says, “Over the years, Jamaica Food and Drink Festival has maintained a superior standard of culinary excellence and, as their partner, we at Visa would like to congratulate them on their well-deserved nomination for the Caribbean’s Best Culinary Festival by the World Culinary Awards 2021. We will continue to support JFDF as they continue to strive towards gastronomic brilliance.” 

According to Matthew Lyn, Chairman of the JFDF, the team benchmarks global events to ensure that all executions are top-notch and that the team is living up to its mandate to make Jamaica ‘the world’s coolest food destination.’ 

In fact, the Festival has accumulated a number of accolades in its short history, some of which include being designated a semi-finalist of the World Food Travel Association Food Trekking Awards 2019 https://worldfoodtravel.org/news-foodtrekking-awards-semi-finalists-announced/, and being referred to by USA Today as something to get off the beach for in Jamaica. 

Interested persons can vote at 

https://worldculinaryawards.com/vote/jamaica-food-drink-festival-2021  Voting ends on September 17, so remember to make your vote count!