Jah Bouks upbeat about Angola Festival

Reggae star Jah Bouks is pulling out all the stops as he transforms his annual Angola Festival into what is anticipated to be a major event on December 31 at the Angola Restaurant at Old Pera in St Thomas.

The event will be headlined by Capleton, Jamal and Jah Bouks himself.

"I want it to be the biggest festival in Jamaica and I know it can happen inna real life," he said. The festival will also feature artistes such as Stalk Ashley, Shane O, Moyann, Nation Boss, Quick Cook, Macka Diamond, Bushman and Bascom X.

Jah Bouks has been aggressive in his promotion of his 'Angola' branding, inspired by the enduring popularity of his Call Angola hit more than a decade ago.

"I decided that anything I am going to do pertaining to business would be called Angola because it is a massive hit. I can't put aside that name, have to keep it going. I always had it in mind to do a festival, so when my 'idrin' Short Ghad came up and say this is the year for the festival, I knew that things would take a different turn. Angola to the world," he said.

But Jah Bouks said he is saddened by the fact that his mother, Zyon Panton, who passed away earlier this year, will not get to see how the Angola Festival has evolved.

"She would have wanted to be here to see all of this, to see what the Angola Festival has become. That is the reason I went to Ghana. She wanted to do the Angola Festival and I went there in August to plan it for December in Ghana - one in Ghana and the other in the Christmas season in Jamaica. Unfortunately, it was not to be. But the Jamaica leg is going to be huge," Jah Bouks said.

The event first began as a party, but has evolved at a time when other live performance events seem to be taking a step back.

"Every year, I wanted to get bigger and better and it manifest this year," he said.

Jah Bouks was born in Winchester, St Thomas, before relocating to live with his mother in Portmore, St Catherine, in 1980. He entered the Magnum Kings and Queens contest and rode a wave of popularity that helped to propel Call Angola into an international hit song.