Musical tour in Jamaica (2005 till now)


At least once a year Michelle (founder of Black Star Foundation) brings a visit to Jamaica and its capital Kingston. Over the years several Dutch artists have been traveling with her to this beautiful island for a musical tour. E.g. Brainpower came to Jamaica to record a video clip with the legendary Yellowman and Michelle accompanied a film crew in Kingston for a Dutch TV program with host Chris Zegers and singer/songwriter Tim Knol.

★ MICHELLE ★

Michelle already went to Jamaica in the 90's. In 1993 she visited her brother Tim, who did research for his study in Kingston. In 1996 Michelle and her 2 brothers returned to the island for the marriage of good friend and Reggae artist Floyd Lloyd. They stayed a few weeks at Ska legend Justin Hinds and his family in Steertown, a small village located in St. Ann, the province in the North of Jamaica where Bob Marley was born and raised.


Michelle loves to travel and she visits Jamaica at least once a year. Through time she knows her way around the island, especially in Kingston town, the beating heart of the Jamaican music business. Michelle discovered beautiful spots, good studios and has many good and reliable local contacts in the music industry, so she can give her fellow travellers a safe and pleasant Jamaica experience, focussed on reggae/dancehall music.



★ DJ DEN-DEN (BLACK STAR SOUND) ★

DJ Den-Den first went to Jamaica with Michelle in 2005/2006. They have travelled all over the island and have visited various local events and sights. In 2008, Michelle and Den-Den went to Jamaica again. Among many other things and people, they have met Yellowman and recorded a single with him. Since 2009 Michelle and Den-Den visit the annual Rebel Salute Festival in Jamaica (mid-January) and they stay in the capital Kingston town for studio recordings for Black Star Sound and Black Star label. Den-Den also likes to visit various record stores in Jamaica to expand the record collection of Black Star Sound.



★ LADY K-WIDA ★

January 2009 the Dutch/Hindustani/Surinamese singer Lady K-Wida came along with Black Star crew Den-Den and Michelle. They visited Rebel Salute Festival and went to Kingston to record some songs. In Anchor Studios Black Star recorded two new riddims with Firehouse Crew, as well as the tune Bad Girls by K-Wida and Lady G.


In Negril Yellowman invited K-Wida on stage during one of his shows and they performed One Man Woman together. Check the video on YouTube!



★ BRAINPOWER ★

The cooperation with Brainpower began when he found out that Black Star Foundation was collaborating with Yellowman. King Yellowman is one of the first DJ's (80-ties), an inspiration for rap and hiphop music in the US. Yellowman is a big hero for Brainpower, which eventually resulted in two combination tunes.


January 2010  Black Star crew and Brainpower went to Jamaica. In Negril Brainpower could perform with Yellowman! After a relaxing week at the beautiful beach of Negril, a visit to the home of Peter Tosh, the Appleton Rum Estate and Rebel Salute Festival, the crew went to Kingston. Brainpower recorded a videoclip and mini-documentary with Yellowman.


Also check out this movie on YouTube: Non Stop dubplate (Jamaica 2010)



★ HIT THE ROAD ★

In September 2012 BNN broadcasted the program 'Hit the Road'. Michelle accompanied a Dutch film crew of Endemol, presenter Chris Zegers and singer/songwriter Tim Knol to Kingston (Jamaica).


Michelle fixed various filmlocations and transportation for the crew, but also the band Unit3 to back-up Tim Knol. They went to Alpha Boys School, Bob Marley Museum and Tuff Gong Studios to record Tim Knol's biggest tune Sam in reggae style. In addition, they went to buy records at Techniques Record store and to parties like Stone Love Soundsystem's party Weddy Weddy Wednesdays and Tim Knol met the legendary Toots Hibbert. Watch 'Hit the Road' here.



★ LEAH ROSIER ★

In 2015, 2016 and 2018 the female reggae artist Leah Rosier from Amsterdam went to Jamaica with Black Star. In 2015, in a period of only 3 weeks, she did 6 performances (check the movie here!), recorded 4 new songs, shot material for 6 video clips (like Rude Boy and Smile Vibe High) and was interviewed live on Bess FM, one of the largest national radio stations in Jamaica.



★ DJ DAB ★

DJ Dab (Skank Around Sound, especially known for Reggaebomb parties in Utrecht) had never been to Jamaica yet and asked Black Star for a musical tour (January 2016). After a few days chilling on the West coast in Negril, they went to Rebel Salute Festival on the North coast and then to the capital Kingston. There they have visited many studio's, record stores and fun parties and they met many musicians and artists.


★ SBMG & TOP NOTCH ★

October 2016 Michelle went to Jamaica with a group of 16 artists and crew from SBMG and Dutch Hip Hop label Top Notch to record for the new SBMG album. Among other things, a video clip was recorded for the song ‘Caribbean'.

In addition, a new live riddim has been recorded for the song 'At At' at Anchor Recording Studios in Kingston in collaboration with the Jamaican band Fire House Crew! At the end of 2016, the album and the video clip were released with a documentary of the trip: Part 1 / Part 2


★ RASTAPLAS CREW ★

Rastaplas Festival has been around since 2003 and takes place every summer in Zoetermeer. However, the organization had never been to Jamaica, so 3 organizers (Ivo, Danny and Erik) went with Michelle to Jamaica for a musical tour: from sights such as the Bob Marley museum, to various studios, parties and other beautiful spots.



★ BLACK STAR SOUND ★

Over the years, DJ Den-Den and Michelle (Black Star Sound) have played at various events in Kingston. In 2016, Black Star Sound played at Vinyl Thursdays in Kingston and played a 40-minute dubplate selection on Bess FM (Jamaican national radio).


In January 2017 Michelle arranged no less than 6 performances for Black Star Sound in Jamaica! This tour is made possible by Fonds voor Podiumkunsten. The highlight was in 2017 when Black Star Sound was allowed to play at Weddy Weddy Wednesdays, the weekly party of Stone Love Sound. Watch the movie on YouTube!


More movies of the Jamaican tour: Vinyl Thursdays / Kings Plaza / Vinyl Sunday


In 2021, Black Star Foundation organized its first own event at Sugar Minott Studios in Kingston: the release party of Babylon Burning riddim (Black Star label) with live on stage: Prince Alla, King Kong, Tampanae, Jah Thunder, Blae Minott (son of Sugar Minott) and many others. Watch the video of Babylon Burning releaseparty (2021)



★ JOGGO ★

The Dutch/Surinamese Reggae artist Joggo (Jürgen Seedorf) also really wanted to go to Jamaica and so he travelled with Michelle in January 2018. The Dutch Reggae singer Leah Rosier was also there at the same time and together they showed Joggo a lot of the island, especially Kingston town.



★ NEDERLANDS BLAZERS ENSEMBLE ★

The Nederlands Blazers Ensemble (NBE) is a close-knit group of more than twenty top musicians who perform about 90 times a year at home and abroad. The NBE does not fit into any box and that is its strength. For many years, the NBE has been making programs in which it is on stage with musicians from other music cultures.


The ensemble goes on a musical journey to a distant cultural destination to inspire and be inspired, and makes a partly arranged, partly improvised tour. Together with a local music professional, they travel all over the country in search of music and local musical heroes. They create musical encounters with professionals, students and amateurs of all generations and styles. They share the stage with the musicians who cross their path and appear in the media.


In September 2022, the NBE went on a preliminary investigation to Jamaica: business leader Niek Wijns and artistic director Bart Schneemann (NBE), together with Michelle (Black Star Foundation) who guided the men there. February 2023, the entire ensemble will go with Michelle to Kingston for collaborations with producers, musicians and artists, but also to give workshops and performances. May 2023, the NBE will bring a number of Jamaican musicians to the Netherlands to make a program together and make the Made in Jamaica tour along the Dutch stages!



★ YOU? ★

Do you also want to go to Jamaica for e.g. recording an album, video clip(s) or a collaboration with Jamaican reggae artists, bands or sound engineers, and you do not have the right contacts for this, please send an e-mail or contact Michelle by phone (+31 64 60 414 20).