When I saw the flier and realised that I was going to be in Jamaica for it and one of my besties was landing the day of the event, I knew that Rock and Groove at Dubwise Cafe on March 8th, 2024 was not going to miss me.
I was getting to see one of my faves Lila Ike live for the first time, see Sevana perform “Mango” live, a song I burned a hole in during Covid times. I was going to see what Naomi had been up to lately and I was going to find out more about who Jaz Elise was.
So I grabbed a few tickets, we got there early, and spread out like bedsheet at the front of the micro stage because I knew it was going to be packed. And it was. Packed as fuck. This pop-up event which Naomi told me was initiated by Lila to commemorate International Women’s Day, on March 8th, was so crowded people sat on walls and climbed into trees to see the women on this micro stage that everyone respected and gave the women room to perform.
And perform they did. The night after at the event, I tweeted to Lila and I posted my pics on my IG, and I said there were only two words to describe how I felt about what I had just experienced. Fucking Fantastic! And I still have a shit ton of photos and videos in my archives.
Right after that, I decided to lock-in and follow all four of them, to pretty much track them like I usually do entrepreneurs and startup talent in my tech community.
And man, how have they all grown over the past year. Here’s my take on what I’ve seen in each of them and why when they perform together it’s so damn special.
Lila is an alpha, a leader, and an initiator. Over the past year, she has been building an ecosystem around her brand that serves herself and others. She sings, writes, and has her merch, sound system- Wurl Sound, record label- Wurl Records, and band, 1Wurl Band now. It seems as if the more she started understanding the business of being an artist, the more she sought ownership and freedom.
Additionally, you see her giving us some of the behind-the-scenes grit and messiness of working a song, a dub, or an event setup. She’s clearly focused on mastery and I fucking admire that shit. You see her jumping up on large international stages, with guitar and voice only in intimate venues, in the backyard of a wellness cafe, in the streets outside Rockers International, closing a night at The Compound. Ah bish been putting in the work.
Naomi has the family legacy and genes, being the daughter of Tommy Cowan and Carlene Davis. Her face card never declines and having seen her recently at Riddim Runway event at Skyline Levels and then at Ladies Love Reggae last week…yeah, her voice pops in a more distinctive way now, it feels like she’s surrendered to her unique sound. Her stage presence turned up and she seems grounded and at ease with herself more now. Clearly she’s been in her cave, working, working, working. I can’t wait to see what she does next beyond Paradise Plum song.
Jaz Elise was least known to me when I saw her at Rock & Groove last March and it’s when I heard her sing her part in their signature song together which is the name of the event, I went digging to find more. Based on how the crowd reacted to her, especially when she sang After 3 a song she did with Mortimer, I was like oh, she has a fanbase, I’m just late to the party.
Jaz, dropped the song Unforgettable with a video late last year, I was like…ohhhhhh, okayyyy. Her own distinctive sound is coming out to play even more. Then I saw her act in the Pitchy Patchy and she was funny as fuck. Another side of her was revealed to us. Then just this weekend, she dropped a video of her singing Unforgettable, this time acoustic. Just her and a guy on keyboards and that song felt entirely new. I heard the words differently somehow and felt her more in this format. So yeah, sometimes, less is more fi true. I’ve played that video at least 15 times since.
Sevana, I knew about Sevana I think because of Odessa. And her song Mango was kicking ass during Covid times, when we needed it. I listened to If You Only Knew too. She’s dropped Chosen over the last year and I’ve been watching her too, try new sounds, and looks, and yeah what I saw recently manifested at Dubwise Miami and again at Ladies Love Reggae last Friday is a result of experimentation and practice. She sekkle down into herself and the poise is up dere!
Truth is, they are all gorgeous, super-talented, and unique Women in Reggae. They are all at different stages of their careers, but when I see them together on a stage, each singing their songs, freestyling and harmonising…there is just something special about that experience. And I haven’t been able to shake that feeling or stop talking about it since.
Now, forward to Ladies Love Reggae event on Valentine’s Day last Friday, Lila, Naomi, and Sevana were there ( Jaz Elise where were you?) and they touched the mic to rass and gave the audience an impromptu performance and it hit me…just how have they grown over this past year. Their individual style, poise, distinctive voice, sounds, confidence, and yeah how they rock a stage together.
And that’s why I was moved to write this, right now.
Additionally, from late last year, I’ve been low-key dropping hints. One day I bucked up Naomi on di road and asked her if she and the other ladies were doing another Rock & Groove in March. That’s when she told me, she didn’t know as it was really Lila who initiated it. I was like ohhh ok. I headed to Lila’s DMs. Lol. I think I may have mentioned it twice to Lila, on the back of a comment on some content she had shared. And I think I had said some shit like “I’m looking forward to Rock & Groove 2.” All Lila gave me was a heart emoji. Not a word more. LOL.
So all of this is me publicly making my case, as a big fan of theirs, as a woman who believes in amplifying the work of other women – that another Rock & Groove event next month would do us good right now, Jah know!
So here is my closing argument.
In my mind, that Rock & Groove event has already outgrown Dubwise Cafe space where it was first held. With the growth of these women individually, the clear growth of their fanbase and collective community that supports the growth of Reggae Music, and the rise of this new wave of talent, especially female talent – Rock & Groove is a bright, blossoming beacon that needs more space, like what Everyday People had. Stay at 82 Lady Musgrave Road, but use the parking lot space this time, set it up, stage, and lighting as Everyday People did.
There is a hunger for this kind of live, fucking fantastic Reggae Music. The crowd will show tf up and it will be great for us, for them, and for our Culture.
And since me out here ah ask fi tings, why not ask fi more tings. My dream too would be to have cameos from that legend who is Tanya Stephens plus, the voice that is Tessanne Chin. And charge us. The tickets will sell out and the place will cawk once again. I just know it.
So please, give us a Rock & Groove 2 this March and done or, me ah go block di road!
