Austin Reggae Festival, which is on April 21, 22 and 23, promises good music, good food and good vibes! This year’s lineup includes The Skatalites, Mighty Mystic, Kumar, Jesse Royal, Perfect Giddimani, Inner Circle, and that is just to name a few.

Location is the Auditorium Shores at Town Lake Metropolitan Park – 900 W Riverside Drive – in Austin. In addition to the live performances they will also have a dub corner as well as a disco. Additional information is available on the event’s official website.

As a part of the ongoing Coveside Concert Series, the world’s oldest operating sound system – Merritone Music – will present an event dubbed Merritone on the Beach, this Saturday, March 25th at Plantation Cove in Priory, St. Ann (Jamaica).

The stage-show, dinner and dance will feature live performances by Lloyd Parks, Gem Myers, Benjy Myaz, Silver Birds Steel Orchestra and Whole Note Mento Band. Showtime is 7pm and there is a $6,500 JMD entrance fee.

See below my interview with Rad Dixon as we discuss his album, Hard Times, which was released on January 1st, 2023, via TasJay Productions.

1.    Hi Rad Dixon, I know you are extremely busy so I appreciate you taking time to do this interview. Let me start by saying congrats on the album and its early success. How do you feel about everything that’s happened subsequent to its release?

Since my debut album release, I’ve been blessed with a lot of opportunities. I’ve been able to perform the songs at venues and meet so many amazing fans. I’m truly grateful for everything that’s happened.

2.    Before we get into the details about the album itself can we first get some info on what happened before the record came out, the production process? Because my understanding is that you are based in Florida and TasJay is between Canada and Jamaica so how did you guys coordinate the writing and recording process?

The production process for my album was a lot of fun. I got to work with some amazing musicians and producers, and we all worked really hard to get the sound just right. I’m really proud of the final product and I hope everyone enjoys listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it.

The process of coordinating the production of my album across different countries was for sure complex, but we got it done with the help of technology and careful planning. Luckily, I was privileged to play a part in choosing the team of people who worked on the album. In the end, Tasjay Productions was able to coordinate a capable team of producers, engineers, mixers, and mastering engineers for my album. Once the team was in place, I was able to communicate with them about the vision for the album. You have to credit Tasjay Productions for handling the budget and scheduling.

3.    You only have two collaborations on the record, Talee and Luciano. Why those two artists?

It’s tough to choose which artists to feature on an album for sure – especially when there are so many amazing artists out there! But in the end, it came down to who we felt was the best fit for the sound and style of the particular songs with the features. For this particular album, I chose two artists who I felt would complement me well on the songs and who would add something unique to the songs. Do you agree that I made the perfect choice? I think the legendary Luciano and Talee were great!

4.    Absolutely! How would you describe the album?

I couldn’t be prouder of my debut album, Hard Times. it’s a collection of heartfelt and honest songs that carry a message that not only resonates with the people in Jamaica but also around the world. Thanks to working with a team across different continents and their various inputs, the album is a unique mix of traditional and contemporary reggae infused with other musical influences from other genres. Ultimately, the message and focus of Hard Times is love and perseverance through the aforementioned ‘hard times’. I drew inspiration from my own life experiences as well as the reggae music that has taken us all, collectively, through hard times.

I hope that Hard Times will resonate with listeners who are looking for music that gives them inspiration and hope in today’s world. The response to the album has been humbling and I believe that it has even more potential to reach an even wider audience, as it contains both familiar and new elements for listeners.

5.    What is your favorite song on the album and why?

There is no easy answer to the question of which my favorite song is off my debut album as it varies from day to day and mood to mood for me. Some artists might choose their favourite song based on personal nostalgia, while others might choose the song they feel is the strongest musically. For me, there are many factors that go into my choice of favourite song in the moment, it comes down to what speaks to the situation I am currently experiencing. This is why Hard Times is a perfect soundtrack for any listener. To answer your question though, my favorite song right now is, “True Love”.

6.    You are a veteran reggae artist that’s been in the business for many years but I am sure you will agree with me when I say that this album has injected life back into your career. Is that a fair statement?

My situation as an artist is quite unique. True I have been in the business for many years, and for that reason you can consider me a ‘veteran’. However, I have never released an official body of work as an album. That is why this debut album, Hard Times is the culmination of my various inspirations and experiences over the years and was genuinely inspired by my love for music. I have always loved, experienced, shared and performed music and I wanted to share that with the world through this album. I now understand what they mean by, music is a universal language that everyone can relate to.

7.    So far you and your team have shared only a couple singles from the album, Right Portion and Times are Hard. What’s your next move?

The decision to pick which singles to officially release from Hard Times is not mine alone, it is a decision taken by the whole team. I will say that there are a few different factors that go into choosing a single to release from this album. The first is the overall release strategy for the album. Our first goal has been to gain new fans, and so those first two songs, ‘Right Portion’ and ‘Times Are Hard’, are representative of that objective. After we have achieved our first goal of generating buzz with the catchiest and most radio-friendly songs then we will move to the ones that we want to feature because of their particular theme or message. Either way, I am extremely confident in and excited about every single on Hard Times and I am sure the fans are too. Come and see me perform the songs live and you are guaranteed a great performance and experience.

8.    Any last words?

I would say that my debut album has inspired me to keep going. It has shown me that there is a lot of interest in my music and that there are people out there who appreciate what I do. It has given me the motivation to keep doing it at the highest possible level.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD “HARD TIMES”

Reggae at the Rock is a two-day reggae festival scheduled for April 1st and 2nd at the Hard Rock Hotel – 918 North Atlantic Avenue – in Daytona Beach, Florida. Confirmed headliners for day one are Anthony B and Mighty Mystic, while on day two it’s The Resolvers and The Supervillains.

Other artists on the show are Bobby Hustle, Propaganjah, Cloud9 Vibes, Rising Lion, Drifting Roots, Coastal Breed, Brothers Within, Part One Tribe, The Trees of Life, The Intracoastals, iVibes, The Sub Herbs, Cultivated Mind, Nostaljah, Dub 321, Root Sea, Vibes Farm, Icroniq, Savi Fernandez, Indigo I, The Shake, Old City Dub, Ben Lewis, Dub Patrol, The Swell, Temporary Setback, SeedFromAtree and The Holidazed.

The Annual Yallahs Kite Festival is scheduled for Friday, April 7th at Yallahs Primary School. The family fun day and stage-show is a charitable event that will see proceeds going to the school’s music department.

There will be live performances by roots reggae singer Fred Locks, as well as international recording artist Turbulence. Other performers on the lineup are Isha Bel, KRISIS, Trapycal, Ken Ellis, and that is just to name a few.