About us


Black Star Foundation

Black Star Foundation is a non-profit organisation which has been committed to promote reggae music in Holland for 17 years. The foundation organises reggae events and concerts, manages and handles bookings for artists/bands, publishes music on its own label and supports and develops new talent.

BACKGROUND BLACK STAR FOUNDATION:

Black Star Foundation is started up because of idealistic ideas of the founder Michelle Boekhout van Solinge. She graduated in Geography (University of Amsterdam, 1997), travelled a lot in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean and in the year 2002 she lived and worked in Ghana (West Africa). There she got the idea to stimulate the communication between Western and non-Western countries and to bring people with different cultural backgrounds a little closer to each other.

Through art and culture (especially music) the foundation wants to contribute to the cultural integration, in bringing people together with different cultural backgrounds and work together on one project. Music is perfect for that, it is a shared interest from people all over the world, a language we all speak, no matter where you are from. Based on that, Black Star Foundation has developed her activities.

THE GOAL OF BLACK STAR FOUNDATION:

The goal of Black Star Foundation is to promote and stimulate artists from abroad and, more in general, to promote the exchange of western and non-western art, music and culture. The foundation tries to achieve their goal by:

  • Organizing multicultural concerts and other events whereby the artists themselves will exchange experiences, skills and understanding;
  • Obtaining financial means and credit facilities for promoting artists from countries outside of Europe;
  • Cooperating with other organizations with corresponding goals.

ACHIEVED GOALS AND ACTIVITIES:

  • Talent development and launching new artists: Black Prophet (2003), Osagyefo (2006), Lady K-Wida (2007), Leah Rosier (2011), Joggo (2012) and Rapha Pico (2014);
  • Tour in Holland with different artists from Ghana: Black Prophet (2003) and Osagyefo (2006/2007);
  • Different bookings for reggae bands and African groups (2003-now);
  • Organization of different recurring events, e.g. Bazart Bashment in Club Bazart, The Hague (2005-2006), Black Star Reggae Party in 't Syndicaat, The Hague (2005-2006), Reggae on the Beach on the beach of Blijburg, Amsterdam (2005-2006), Bass Culture / Black Star Wednesdays in Bitterzoet, Amsterdam (2007-2008), Nice Up Di Dance in Cafe The Zen, Amsterdam (2010-2014), Roest Rock Reggae in Roest, Amsterdam (2014), Sugar & Spice in the Sugarfactory, Amsterdam (2015-2016) and Black Star Sound in Hill Street Blues in Amsterdam (2017-heden);
  • Reggae promotion for record companies (Sony/BMG, Universal Music) and venues (Paard van Troje in The Hague, P60 in Amstelveen and Melkweg in Amsterdam);
  • Organization and promotion of Jamaican reggae concerts in different venues in Holland, e.g. Ijahman & Mighty Diamonds (2006), Max Romeo (2006/2013/2016), Anthony B (2006/2007/2008), Alpha Blondy (2007/2008), Jah Mason & Lutan Fyah (2008), Yellowman (2009), Mad Professor (2010), The Congos & The Abyssinians (2011), Turbulence (2012), U-Roy (2012), Spectacular (2013), Skarra Mucci (2013), Etana & Queen Omega (2014) and Bunny Wailer (2014/2015);
  • Organization and promotion of Made in Jamaica Reggae Festival in the Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam (Holland) with Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, Third World, Bunny Wailer and Capleton (2007);
  • Start up Black Star label and release first album of Osagyefo (Ghana), 'Blaze Fire' (2007);
  • 5-Year Anniversary Black Star Foundation (2008);
  • Release debut single of Lady K-Wida and within 2 months bookings on big stageshows like Parkpop and Two Sevens Splash Festival (2008);
  • Release second single of Lady K-Wida with the legendary King Yellowman! Yellowman and Lady K-Wida also performed together in Jamaica (2009);
  • Giving musical lectures about Bob Marley and reggae music, The history of Jamaican music, etc. E.g. during the theatre tour of the Tribute to Bob Marley band (2008-now);
  • Reggae promotion on Dutch radio for different Dutch reggae releases (2009-now);
  • Release reggae CD with famous Dutch rapper Brainpower (2010);
  • Organization of tour in Holland with artists like Vivian Jones (2009/2011) and Marlon Asher (2011);
  • Release Bad Girls 'riddim' with 6 different artists (2012);
  • Management of Dutch/Surinam reggae artist Joggo (2012);
  • Celebrate 10-year anniversairy of Black Star Foundation in Melkweg, Amsterdam (2013);
  • Release Rub-A-Dub riddim with 9 different artists (2013);
  • Release Deventer Vibes CD by Asher E (2013);
  • Release CD Black Star presents Vivian Jones (2014);
  • Restart Irielion.com, the online reggae agenda for Holland and Belgium (2015);
  • Release Lovely Girl riddim with different artists (2015);
  • Organization and promotion of Rototom & Friends in the Milkyway, Amsterdam with Junior Kelly, The Wailing Souls, Daniel Bambaata Marley (son of Ziggy Marley), Ziggi Recado, Rapha Pico, Leah Rosier and many more (2016);
  • Tour with Black Star Sound in South of France and Spain (summer 2016);
  • Tour Black Star Sound of 6 performances in Jamaica (2017);
  • Release CD by Exile Di Brave (Jamaica): 'Exile Di Brave meets Black Star' (2017);
  • Release album by Leah Rosier (Holland)): 'The Black Star Tracks' (2017);
  • Release World of Righteousness riddim with different artists (2017);
  • Release solo album by Black Star producer Asher-E (Holland) on melodica: 'Black Star Melodies' (2017);
  • Celebrate 15 year anniversary of Black Star Foundation in Melkweg, Amsterdam (2018);
  • Release single 'Change' by Rapha Pico ft. Jahbar I, incl. video clip (2020);
  • Release Babylon Burning riddim, incl. different animated lyrical video clips on Reggaeville (2020);
  • Release party for Babylon Burning riddim @ Sugar Minott Studios in Kingston, Jamaica (2020).