Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival New York 2015: Cham, Romain Virgo & Jamaican Culture Take Over Queens
The smell of jerk smoke, the sound of Reggae and Dancehall, and thousands of people celebrating Jamaican culture filled Roy Wilkins Park in Queens on Sunday, July 19, 2015, for the 5th Annual Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival New York.
Running from noon until 8 PM, the festival combined Jamaican food, live entertainment, cooking competitions, cultural performances and family activities into one of New York’s major Caribbean summer events.
The entertainment lineup included Cham, Romain Virgo, Carlene Davis, Fab 5 Band, King Jammys and Majah Hype, while the food side of the festival brought restaurants, chefs and competitors together around Jamaica’s most famous culinary tradition.
Original Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival New York 2015 promotional flyer for the July 19 event at Roy Wilkins Park.
Jamaican Food at the Center of the Festival
Music was a major part of the day, but the heart of the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival remained the food.
Restaurants and vendors served variations of jerk chicken, jerk pork, jerk fish and other Jamaican dishes, while the Jerk Cooking Pavilion hosted demonstrations and competitions throughout the day. Contemporary coverage also described roasted corn, curry, fried chicken, bammy, festival, pastries, coconut water and other Jamaican favorites being served across the park.
The festival was built as more than a concert. Food, music and Jamaican culture all shared the spotlight.
Mayor Bill de Blasio Takes the Cooking Challenge
One of the day’s most recognizable guests was New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who returned to compete in the festival’s Celebrity Quick-Fire Challenge.
His opponent was Miss Universe Jamaica Kaci Fennell, who had also been featured prominently in the festival’s promotional campaign.
De Blasio successfully defended his cooking title with a Jamaican-inspired “Swagga” sandwich, while Fennell joined a wider group of Jamaican and Caribbean dignitaries attending the festival.
Cham Steps Onto the Main Stage
The original festival flyer advertised Sanchez, alongside Romain Virgo, King Jammys, Carlene Davis and Fab 5 Band.
By festival day, Cham — also widely known as Baby Cham — had joined the lineup. Contemporary reports stated that Sanchez was unable to appear because of a visa issue and Cham stepped in for the performance.
Cham brought Dancehall energy to Roy Wilkins Park and became one of the major performers documented during the 2015 festival.
Julianspromos also caught up with Cham during the event.
With the Julianspromos microphone in hand, Chandelle “Chandy” De Riggs spoke with Cham during the festival, adding another artist interview to the day’s coverage.
Romain Virgo, Carlene Davis & Fab 5 Represent Reggae
Romain Virgo brought contemporary Reggae to the main stage, joining a lineup that crossed several generations of Jamaican music.
Veteran singer Carlene Davis led a gospel segment, while Fab 5 Band delivered the kind of broad Jamaican repertoire that had made the group a longtime favorite both at home and throughout the diaspora.
Legendary producer and sound-system operator King Jammys added selections from Jamaica’s Dancehall history, giving the entertainment program another connection to the music’s roots.
Majah Hype supplied comedy between the musical performances.
Jamaican Culture Beyond the Main Stage
Away from the main concert stage, the festival also featured the Western Union Cultural Stage, where music, dance, drama and traditional Jamaican cultural presentations ran throughout the earlier part of the day.
Organizers also created a dedicated Kidz Zone, giving families activities beyond the food and performances.
That combination helped make the festival feel less like a single concert and more like a full-day celebration of Jamaican life in New York.
A Taste of Jamaica in Queens
Roy Wilkins Park had become an ideal setting for the festival.
Families spread across the park, vendors kept grills going throughout the day, Jamaican flags appeared throughout the crowd and music moved between Reggae, Dancehall, gospel and classic Jamaican sounds.
Contemporary reports described thousands of patrons turning out despite the intense July heat.
For New York’s large Jamaican and Caribbean community, the festival offered something familiar: food, music and culture gathered together in one place.
From the Julianspromos Archives
Julianspromos covered the 5th Annual Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival New York at Roy Wilkins Park on July 19, 2015, documenting the food, performances and atmosphere surrounding one of New York’s major Jamaican cultural events.
Chandelle “Chandy” De Riggs hosted the Julianspromos coverage, with Chandy and Intrigue Lane photographing the festival.
The photography includes Chandy with Cham, who performed during the festival after being added to the main-stage lineup, along with images capturing the artists, attendees and activities throughout Roy Wilkins Park.
The 2015 coverage adds another chapter to the Julianspromos New York archive, documenting Jamaican food, Reggae, Dancehall and Caribbean culture coming together in Queens for a full summer day at the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival.
