Sunday, March 17 is the new date has been set for the twice postponed Dennis Brown tribute concert.

The event — which is organised by the Dennis Emmanuel Brown Trust, the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA), Leggo Records and Sounds & Pressuresince in 2009, will now be held along the Kingston Waterfront, a departure from its previous home along Orange Street where Dennis Brown grew up.

Dennis Brown

The organisers note that this year’s staging is based on advice from the Jamaican Constabulary Force and has its support.

This year the tribute concert is scheduled to start at 5:00 pm and end at mid night. Thirty acts are slated to perform, including Beres Hammond, Freddy McGregor, Tarrus Riley, Richie Stephens, Mighty Diamonds, Big Youth, Errol Dunkley, Junior Reid, Carl Dawkins, Iba Mahr, and Lloyd Parks & We the People Band.

The primary objective of the tribute to Dennis Brown, in addition to celebrating the crown prince, is to promote the positioning of downtown Kingston as an attraction for visitors from around the world, to come each year and absorb the culture of the people from downtown Kingston, where the music industry was born in the 1950s.

Since then, residents and business people in the surrounding communities have given the concert tremendous endorsement and support. It satisfied their yearning to see Jamaica’s popular artistes perform live. For some, this was the only opportunity to see their favourite artiste perform live.

Last year, approximately 10,000 patrons were in attendance.