New Wave’s flagship event, Block Party, returned in fine style after a two-year hiatus due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The cultural, creative and digital media platform, founded by Grammy-nominated reggae artiste Protoje and creative Jason Panton, converged at the new hot spot Di Lot on Constant Spring Road on Sunday November 13. Since the first staging in 2019, the event has become known for curating spaces and experiences that highlight the boldness and vibrancy of the Jamaican culture, with a focus on current and emerging creatives. Artisans and creatives on site included visual artist Joshua Solas, Bumble Beauty Ltd, Rachael Lane and Braata Box & Co. Plantation Smokehouse, Dining With Curvy and Seafood876 made up the list of food vendors who met the refreshment needs.

DJs Brush 1 the Road Marshal, Bloodline Franco, Heatwave Fatalic, Laing D, Fyahmatic and Circa Fatman kept the crowd on their feet for the evening, with Protoje making a special appearance. The presenting sponsors for the event included VM Group, Very Culture!, Itopia Life and Pepsi Jamaica.

New Wave’s director Lindsey Lodenquai, who couldn’t wait for the creatives and partiers to experience this year’s staging, shared, “We are super-excited about the return of our mini festival… New Wave in itself is really a creative platform for local talents and the best way to showcase that is by having events that facilitate all the different facets of the creative scene.”

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[New Wave’s next event will be Celebrity Closet, a charity gift shop, scheduled for Saturday, December 10, 2022]