Today is legends day in Portmore. The BRUV Musiq Festival returns for its third staging today, Saturday, November 7, at Portmore Harbour Beach in St. Catherine, with a lineup built to honour the artists and sound systems that shaped Jamaican music in the 1990s and early 2000s, according to DancehallStarz.

The scheduled performers are Tanya Stephens, I Wayne, Warrior King, Zebra, Bascom X, Junior Cat, General B, Round Head and Nitty Kutchie. The event is scheduled to begin at noon.

More Than a Concert

BRUV stands for Best Retro with Ultimate Vibes, and the concept combines live performances with traditional sound system entertainment. Festival promoter Ricardo “Mansa Musa” Burnett has emphasized the importance of recognizing veteran performers who played significant roles in the development of Jamaican music, according to DancehallStarz.

This year’s staging also features three legendary sound systems: Metro Media, Stone Love and Renaissance, according to details reported by the Jamaica Observer and carried by Caribbean E Magazine. For generations, sound systems have been the foundation of dancehall, introducing new music, developing artists and bringing communities together.

Why Portmore, Why Now

The festival was relocated to Portmore to accommodate a larger audience and bring the celebration to a community with deep connections to Jamaican music culture, according to Caribbean E Magazine. Organizers have also spoken about ambitions to eventually expand the BRUV brand beyond Jamaica into other Caribbean markets and diaspora communities.

At a moment when the industry chases viral hits and streaming numbers, BRUV is making the opposite argument: the foundation artists are the story. The festival is designed to recognize entertainers whose contributions helped establish the sound and cultural identity of reggae and dancehall during an influential period.

For younger audiences, it is also a rare chance to experience, live and in person, the artists whose music influenced today’s dancehall generation.

Nation, if you could bring back one foundation artist or one legendary sound for a full night in Portmore, who are you picking?

Photo: Tanya Stephens performing live at Reggae Geel in Belgium. Photo: Reggae Geel via Cat Radio