Jada Kingdom pulls out of Reggae Sumfest and was replaced by Ishawna.
As the anticipation continues to build for the upcoming Reggae Sumfest, the production is being sprinkled with drama. On the heels of Jada Kingdom’s announcement that she will no longer take part in the show, festival organizer Joe Bogdanovich has announced that Ishawna will join the lineup.
The development has been described by Bogdanovich as very exciting. With just a few days to go before the show, often called the Greatest Reggae Show on the Earth, Jada Kingdom took to her Instagram Stories and shared two posts with her millions of followers stating that she would no longer perform. She did not give any reasons, but she has a series of other posts announcing performance dates throughout the Caribbean region.
Ishawna has been growing in status and recently cemented her place as one of the rising stars in dancehall with her much-loved collaboration with Ed Sheeran called “Brace It.” The STAR spoke with the show’s organizer, who shared that he is extremely happy for the “Equal Rights” songstress, who is a long-time Downsound artiste.
“I just think it’s so great that she’s getting all these good breaks in her career, and I think the thing with Ed Sheeran could be a number one record. It’s looking pretty good, and I think it’s very exciting that she’s been added to the lineup,” he added.
She is expected to perform on July 22 as the show returns to a physical stage after a two-year hiatus. She was able to be a part of the show’s virtual offering back in 2020, which was well received by fans who commended her effort at delivering a well-organized set as well as her antics.
Without directly saying it, Bogdanovich seems to believe that he’s done well to replace Jada Kingdom on such short notice. During the interview, he also described Ishwana as awesome and stable. He also deflected questions about his feelings about how suddenly Jada dropped out of the lineup and said that he is choosing to focus more on who she has been replaced with.
He also shared that he and the rest of the team were ensuring all health protocols would be put in place despite new and emerging fears of Monkey Pox, which has been spreading around the world and recently arrived on the shores of Jamaica.
Even so, he is still hoping that the virus does not spread, especially since the person who was infected and in isolation recently escaped his hospital room by climbing out of a bathroom window before getting into a nearby car that was waiting. He eventually returned to the facility.
“I’m not even thinking about it. I think there’s a lot of sensationalism about it when you see some of those pictures that look fake. It’s part of the new normal and we just have to get through it,” he added.
Despite all the challenges, Bogdanovich remains confident that the show will be not only successful but safe as well. He added that he and his team are working on providing great service and getting people to enjoy themselves, all while ensuring that the facility is not crammed. As such, they intend to stick to the 70 percent protocol and have a reduction in the number of people there. Fans of Jamaican music from around the world are expected to attend the show as it returns to a physical stage.
