by Howard Campbell
SOUTH FLORIDA – Super Bowl LVIII in Glendale, Arizona has come and gone. On February 12, the biggest party in American sports had a Caribbean vibe with Rihanna from Barbados, Jamaicans Sheryl Lee Ralph, Shaggy and Marcia Griffiths part of the entertainment package.
Rihanna was star of the half-time show, while the resurgent Ralph sang Lift Every Voice And Sing, the African-American anthem, to kick off proceedings. Shaggy and Griffiths shared the spotlight in a Jeep 4xe ad, done to an updated version of Electric Boogie, the Reggae Queen’s 1983 hit song.
Anthony Turner, a Jamaican who has helped promote shows with West Indian artists in the US and Caribbean for over 30 years, said these acts have long transcended Diaspora status.
“The Caribbean/Jamaican culture has impacted mainstream culture in so many ways. If you look at the hip hop music industry which is now a multi-billion dollar industry, it was Jamaica-born DJ Kool Herc, real name Clive Campbell, and his friend who in 1973 hosted a back-to-school party in the Bronx that gave birth to the industry. Fast-forward 50 years later to 2023, it is Caribbean-born pop superstar Rihanna and her island friends who perform at the half-time show for one of the biggest and most watched sports extravaganzas in the world — the Super Bowl,” he noted.
Rihanna is one of pop music’s biggest names. In addition to platinum records and sold-out tours, she has appeared in ads for many high-end companies like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Dior. That business savvy has helped her become a billionaire, according to Forbes Magazine.
Shaggy is also a corporate favorite, pitching products such as Cheetos and McDonalds. Old-school Jamaican deejay Sister Nancy has enjoyed a career resurgence due to her 1982 hit single, Bam Bam, been used in marketing campaigns for Reebok and in Ozark, the hit Netflix series.
Reggae Month Miami: 2023 The Business of Reggae
On Sunday, February 26th Inner Circle, Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA), and Global Awakening presents “The Business of Reggae” highlighting music, fashion, art, entertainment, sports entrepreneurship, franchising plus more. Click here for more information.
