Richie Spice opens St Ann reggae series with Duane Stephenson, Capleton to follow

Midas Entertainment will launch ENCORE LIVE on the north coast with Richie Spice at 8 Rivaz Ultra Lounge in Ocho Rios, St Ann, on June 28, setting up a three-part summer run that is being pitched as more than a one-night booking. The opening show is set as an intimate roots-reggae session, with The Skalawagz Band backing Spice and the emphasis on live performance, not festival flash.

The series keeps moving on July 26, when Duane Stephenson takes the second spot on the bill. His catalogue sits comfortably in the roots-reggae and lovers-rock lane, which gives the middle date a different texture while keeping the run rooted in the same live-conscious format.

The final staging lands on August 30 at Plantation Cove in St Ann, and that date carries the most weight. Capleton will close out the series, joined by saxophonist Dean Fraser and Nesbeth, while DJ Delano of Renaissance Disco is expected to provide musical selections across the run. Jamaica Experiences describes Renaissance as a crowd-pleasing sound system that blends old and new dancehall and reggae with hip hop, live remixes and dub plates, a fit that points to a promoters’ plan built around atmosphere as much as artist name value.

Richie Spice gives the opening night its clearest statement of intent. Concert-history material identifies him as Richell Bonner, born September 8, 1971, in St. Andrew, Jamaica, and places him within the Bonner family of artists that includes Pliers, Spanner Banner and Snatcher Dog. That family background, along with Spice’s steady roots reputation, makes him a natural choice to set the tone for a series trying to prove that St Ann can support a serious reggae corridor on lineup strength alone. June 28 will show whether the north coast is ready to carry that kind of weight.