Fans are asking who will show. Lady Saw, Minister Marion Hall or both?
Dancehall stalwarts Baby Cham, Wayne Wonder, and Frisco Kid will headline Groovin In The Park’s ‘Timeless 90’s’ segment that will pay homage to the iconic dancehall riddims of the 1990s. The event takes place on Sunday, June 25 at Roy Wilkins Park, Queens, NY.
“Cham has created mayhem in the dancehall space with 90s anthems like ‘Ghetto Story,’ ‘Vitamin S,’ ‘Many Many’ and ‘Babylon Bwoy.’ We are delighted to have him as a performer at Groovin In The Park 2023” Chris Roberts, CEO of Groovin Inc said.
Dave Kelly, who created many of the influential juggling riddims from the 1990s including the Pepperseed, Showtime, Joy Ride, Stink, Bogle, Arab Attack, Heartbeat, Return, Haunted, Heartbeat, Backyard, Fiesta, 85, and Bruk Out is responsible for Cham’s biggest hit song, “Ghetto Story”. A remixed version of the song titled “Ghetto Story Chapter 2” featuring R&B singer Alicia Keys, made an indelible mark internationally, receiving heavy airplay on MTV2 and BET, and on Canada’s MuchMusic. The song peaked at number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 13 on the Billboard Rap Tracks chart.
Performing alongside Cham will be Wayne Wonder, who has successfully fused reggae and R&B. He is known for his mega hit “Joyride”, the title track for the 1996 riddim which spawned Lady Saw’s “Sycamore Tree” and Buju Banton’s “How it a Guh go”. He is expected to create excitement for fans with hits “Searching”, “Bounce Along”, “Strange Things” and “No Letting Go”.
Frisco Kid aka Ancient Monarchy, another of the 1990s artists billed for Groovin In The Park will put his signature stamp on the proceedings with “Rubbers”, “Little and Cute”, “Hypocrite” and “Parasite”.
Also set to perform at Groovin In The Park is R&B stalwart Charlie “Uncle Charlie” Wilson, known for mega hits like “There Goes My Baby”, “You Are”, “In It to Win It” and “I’m Blessed”. Wilson has topped the R&B charts with 13 number one singles and 13 GRAMMY nominations. He was twice named Billboard’s Top Adult Male R&B Artist and Billboard’s Top Adult R&B Male Artist with the most #1s in three decades.
New York music fans are asking whether Minister Marion Hall or Lady Saw will show at Groovin In The Park this year? While that question is debatable, one fact is that Lady Saw is the first Jamaican female dee-jay to win a Grammy Award and the first to achieve triple-platinum status with a song. Her track “I’ve Got Your Man” crossed over on the R&B charts and peaked at number 58.
Award winning reggae crooner Tarrus ‘Singy Singy’ Riley is one of the most accomplished of the second generation of Jamaican roots reggae singers. In his career, Riley has amassed a catalog of love gems including “She’s Royal”, “Contagious”, “Soul Mate”, “Groovy Little Thing”, “Stay With You”, “Cry No More”, “Antique Loving”, “Start Anew”, and “Good Girl Gone Bad” featuring Konshens.
Another highlight for Groovin In The Park 2023 is a Four Continent Sound System Showcase featuring Dynamq from Africa, Bass Odyssey, who will represent The Americas, Sir David Rodigan, representing Europe and Yard Beat from Japan.
For more information or to purchase tickets visit groovininthepark.com.
