NTS X ISLAND RECORDS MEET ROCKERS INTERNATIONAL AT BEAT STREET IN KINGSTON, JAMAICA

  • Loren Sana Viel Platt

For the first time ever, NTS broadcast live from Jamaica with a new pop-up studio at the infamous Rockers International on Beat Street, Kingston. Saturday February 9th - broadcast radio shows by a range of established and breaking homegrown talent, including prolific reggae singer Sizzla, joined on the day by a host of other artists, ranging from rising Kingston selector DJ Sparks to some Island Records special guests. https://www.nts.live/shows/live-from-beat-street-w-rockers-international-island-records Rockers International is an obvious venue, having served as a long-standing focal point for the Jamaican music scene. Rockers was founded by Augustus Pablo in the 1970s, renowned for introducing the melodica into the roots reggae sound and recording with everyone from Lee Scratch Perry to Bob Marley. After his passing in 1991, Pablo’s children Addis Pablo and Isis Swaby took over Rockers with cousin Bigs Miael McGeachy, continuing their father’s legacy to this day. Just last November, UNESCO awarded reggae with status as a protected ‘cultural treasure’, and this broadcast is the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to the lasting legacy of Jamaican musical heritage and shine a spotlight on the contemporary artists pushing genre boundaries. The project coincides with national Reggae Month celebrations, and NTS, Island and Rockers will round off the weekend with a free party on Sunday 10th February, featuring a line-up of surprise guest artists and a collaborative mural commemorating the event.