Burruss, DJ Jessy Hypeness and Clyde McKenzie, she is well on her way to becoming the first black female owner of Caribbean descent to launch a digital radio station, from sunny South Florida, USA, to the world. EMPOWER DIVERSE VOICES Situated in a culturally vibrant region of the country, the ‘digitally mastered’ broadcast platform, aptly registered as Good Vybz Radio, will provide an avenue and an opportunity for DJs, personalities and artistes to create a vibe and share their creativity with a borderless audience, “while spreading some good, Caribbean-inspired vibes everyday”. “Good Vybz’s mission is to spread knowledge, amplify and empower the underserved voices of the urban and Caribbean community,” she noted. Seizing on technology, Reecy D says the time was right to go with the flow, using music as the common denominator. “The goal is to empower diverse voices and promote inclusivity through the universal language of music.” At the moment, the platform is streaming carefully packaged music from the 1970s through to the early 2000 at www.goodvybzradio.com, with a few open slots still available on a first-come basis. The Good Vybz Radio team is hoping for the support, so that the platform can positively impact underserved communities and unsung heroes, while creating a bridge for the cultures of the Caribbean and the Americas to thrive. - A.C Aubrey Campbell/Gleaner Writer BROOKLYN, NY: WITH NEW Yorkers welcoming the start of the summer season, earlier this month, the return of the beloved free outdoor reggae Summer Sound system series that includes Coney Island Reggae On The Boardwalk and Reggae Under The Bridge, return this year with four exciting dates, June 9, July 7, August 4, and August 31, in THE MONTHLY GLEANER | JUNE 13 - JULY 13, 2024 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 8 NEW YORK, NY: ANDREA DARLINGTON, also known as ‘Reecy D’, is one of countless Caribbean nationals who will be celebrating the collective force of what they bring to the American landscape in so many facets of their lives. Born in the bustling borough of Queens, NY, to Jamaican parents many moons ago, Reecy D, to those who are closest to her, is celebrating not one, not two, but three milestone moments during the month of June, which is being observed as Caribbean American Heritage Month across these United States of America. Yes, she will take the time to savour the contributions to the history and culture of the USA by her forebears. And as a June girl, ruled under the Gemini sign, she will also be celebrating her ‘earth-strong’. But perhaps the best part, or the best moment, will be the launch of her own radio station on the information superhighway, the World Wide Web. Having spent a considerable amount of her time in Jamaica, including a stint at Irie FM, Ocho Rios, Reecy D says that radio came naturally to her on a journey that, up to this point, includes motherhood and entrepreneurship. Inspired by the likes of ‘Big A’, Kandi Good Vybz Radio bridging the C’bean American cultural divide Andrea ‘Reecy D’ Darlington, president and CEO of Good Vybz Radio, Florida, celebrates the launch of her radio platform and her birthday in the month of June. CONTRIBUTED Brooklyn and Queens, featuring an array of reggae vinyl specialist DJs from Brooklyn, New York City, and beyond. The first event at K Bridge Park, on June 9, featured DJ Puma from Brooklyn’s famed LP International Sound System, DJ Misbehaviour, DJ Anthony, African Violet Roots, Chanter The Timeless Sound, and Carter Van Pelt. WKCR DJ Carter Van Pelt founded the event series in June, 2010, originally conceiving it as a way to play classic reggae at an accessible location (the Coney Island Boardwalk) to a broad audience. “It caught on from the very beginning, and I feel proud of what it’s become and how the community has embraced it, including the support and endorsements of the Brooklyn Arts Council and Queens BP Donovan Richards. Over the last dozen years, there has been a growing interest in Jamaican ‘sound system culture’ globally, and also vinyl DJ culture, which has raised the profile of the events. Thanks to social media, people know about the event around the world and have travelled from Japan, Australia, Europe, and Jamaica to attend.” MULTI-CULTURAL, MULTI-GENERATIONAL The events have also benefited from the participation of reggae and sound system luminaries, including Jamaican producers King Jammys and Jack Scorpio, singers Luciano, Johnny Osbourne, and Carlton Livingston, and emcees Ranking Joe, ‘Sassafrass’, Sister Carol, and Screechy Dan. Giants in the soundclash world, including selectors Puma from LP International, Downbeat The Ruler, and others such as Federation Sound and Sir Tommy, have been regular participants. The events are multi-cultural and multi-generational, featuring a core of Jamaican/Caribbean selectors and others passionate about the music culture, both men and women, ranging from teenagers to octogenarians. New restrictions implemented in 2023 have downsized the system used at the original Coney Island location and Rockaway Beach, but the power of the music remains the same. In 2021, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards brought the event to the Rockaway Beach Amphitheatre as part of his Queens – Live! series, where it returns again this year on Saturday, August 31,as part of the Labour Day Holiday Weekend festivities. “Reggae and Caribbean culture as a whole are integral parts of the Southeast Queens and Rockaway communities. I can’t wait to celebrate these roots when Reggae On The Boardwalk returns to Rockaway Beach this summer for an incredible day of music,”said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. The event series is free to the public and generously supported by community donations from attendees, the Brooklyn Arts Council, and the Office of the Queens Borough President. The Summer Sound system Series (including Reggae Under The Bridge and Coney Island Reggae On The Boardwalk) is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and New York State Legislature and administered by Brooklyn Arts Council. Popular reggae concerts set to return to NYC - Reggae Under The Bridge & Reggae On The Boardwalk for summer 2024 Event Locations, Dates, and Times for 2024: REGGAE UNDER The Bridge @ K Bridge Park, 470 Scott Avenue, Brooklyn, Sunday, July 7, 2-7 pm. Coney Island Reggae On The Boardwalk, Sunday, August 4, 2-6 pm., Boardwalk at West 20th Street, Coney Island, Brooklyn. Reggae On The Boardwalk – Rockaways; Saturday, August 31, 3-7 pm, Rockaway Beach Amphitheatre (East 94th). For more information, please follow @coneyislandreggae on Instagram and “Coney Island Reggae” on Facebook.
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