Multi-talented American R&B singer, Usher, has been confirmed as one of the acts who will perform at this year's staging of "the greatest reggae festival on earth" Reggae Sumfest.
At the long-awaited lanch on Friday night at Sportsmax Zone in New Kingston, the promoters, Summerfest Productions, announced the artiste line-up via a slick video presentation and the event poster, which featured prominently on a screen.
"We have been wanting to get him for a long time," Robert Russell told the Sunday Observer in a post-launch interview. "And this year the timing was right," he said of Usher's confirmation which had been kept secret up until Friday night, and which was still not on the festival's website last evening.
Another revelation made was the fact that this year, dancehall deejay Rodney Price, aka Bounty Killer, will receive special hounour at the festival. Last year, Sumfest organisers crowned Beenie Man King of the Dancehall, a title he had already taken unto himself. No details were given on what format Bounty's honour will take.
Usher Raymond IV, the ultimate triple threat -- actor, singer and dancer -- has sold over 45 million records world wide and has a stable of five Grammy awards. It was his 2004 release Confessions that propelled Usher into celestial greatness. According to the artiste's bio, over one million copies were sold in the first week of release, making Confessions the highest debut-week numbers ever for a male R&B artiste.
Usher, who earned the distinction of being the Top Hot 100 Artiste of the Decade, also helms his own record label US Records and his eye for talent is unmistakable in his newest discovery Justin Bieber.
Reggae Sumfest kicks off with a beach party on July 18 and continues at Catherine Hall, Montego Bay, on July 22-24. Also scheduled to perform are
international R&B and pop star, Chris Brown, Shaggy, Beenie Man, Tarrus Riley, Queen Ifrica, Jah Cure, Elephant Man, I-Octane, Konshens, Stacious, Chino, Gramps Morgan and Tifa.-- Yasmine Peru
