DJ Ras Kwame has teamed up with ON AIR to create Reggae Recipe LIVE, a livestream event showcasing the best of black British talent. Ras Kwame is best known for his Capital XTRA radio show ‘Reggae Recipe’, and he is now transferring the successful show to the main stage. Meanwhile, ON AIR are already established for streaming performances by Skepta and Arlo Parks. Reggae Recipe LIVE will feature pioneering guests such as Stefflon Don, General Levy and Stylo G amongst many more. The livestream will air this Saturday (1st August 2021) at 8PM and you can still buy tickets here. In light of the highly anticipated event, host Ras Kwame spoke to The Student Pocket Guide to explain why this is a livestream you will not want to miss out on…
DJ Ras Kwame Launches Reggae Recipe LIVE with ON AIR by Jessica Doran
Hi Ras, it’s great to speak to you about Reggae Recipe LIVE which is airing so soon!
You must be excited! When did you come up with the idea to extend your Capital XTRA radio show into a live event?
Very excited thank you! The idea was born pretty much around the same time the show was first launched in 2015. It took a couple of years in growth with my first event taking place in 2019 at the Borderline in central London. I’m always inspired to see UK talent in real live band settings as I think there needs to be a lot more of this happening. In this way I can push the culture forward.
Was it difficult to organise this event with the recent restrictions?
Yes, very challenging at times! Given the current global scenario regards to the pandemic etc. Myself and the team have had to postpone the event 3 times over the last 18 months across varying scenarios of talent, location and broadcast. Very happy to have settled on the current format and we look forward to what comes next with excitement.
How did you choose which artists to get on board?
With great difficulty as I know of so many talents who can ‘bring it’ to a full live stage show. I narrowed it down to a shortlist of 10 who were available and that was from a long list of 25! Eventually, it comes down to a line up who would best reflect the varied nature of the music I play on the show, i.e. dancehall, reggae, afrobashment and great UK sounds with roots in sound system culture in general, or that have the ‘vibe’ that suits the show. The line up we have is very reflective of this, it’s a Reggae Recipe and Ras Kwame is the chef!
DJ Ras Kwame
What other artists would you love to include if you did Reggae Recipe Live again?
Way too many to get into! But I do intend to showcase some more talents with that sound system culture affiliation such as Chip, Giggs, Ms Banks, Ms Dynamite also take it right back to the foundations with the likes of Maxi Priest, Sweetie Irie etc.
ON AIR have really thought about their live streams to try and make this the most authentic gig experience as possible for audience members. I’ve heard that ON AIR are now the only streaming platform able to offer 4K resolution and Dolby Atmos sound on both live and pre-recorded situations. Aside from the technical aspect, what else can you tell us about Reggae Recipe LIVE that makes it such a put together and well thought out event?
Yes, technically via ON AIR, we are solid, very solid. This is about pushing the culture forward and seeing ourselves in places and performance situations where we are not seen in enough. ON AIR has proven to be an invaluable partner in this aspect. My Reggae Recipe show reflects my love of the culture and the talents that appear on it. In that respect and with the same level of effort, care and attention delivered to the live show as the radio shows, you can be assured of a high quality showcase of some of the most successful artists in the business of music.
Reggae Recipe has been described as a ‘showcase of boundary-pushing Black British talent brought to a global stage’. I’d love to hear more about the ‘boundary- pushing’ aspects of the show/the artists – can you expand on this a little?
DJ Ras Kwame
‘Boundary pushing’ as in there isn’t another livestream event showcasing this sound and with this level of talent, delivered with this quality of production in the current market, across a series of events. Stefflon Don’s achievements of attaining global attention through her music and style over the last 2 years from a UK perspective hasn’t been mirrored. She’s attained a following of 2.7M on Instagram alone prior to officially releasing a debut album. Stylo G’s achievement of gaining critical acclaim in all core markets for dancehall and reggae globally, including the scene’s holy grail land of Jamaica, hasn’t happened for UK talent in a very long time. He has collaborated with some icons of the scene in Nicki Minaj, Vybz Kartel, Sean Paul, Busta Rhymes and Spice amongst others. To make a record such as General Levy’s ‘Incredible’ that’s stood the test of time i.e. spanning a 30 year career and still to this day remain a favourite from generation to generation and entering UK mainstream consciousness is a huge testament to the artist’s creative abilities. This repeats across the artistic talent involved and the Reggae Recipe band members. All the individuals involved are boundary pushing and bringing them all together as one with a full live band of highly respected musicians on a 4k livestream event is boundary pushing, period.
It’s such a good idea to do a livestream so that everyone can access the gig, but will Reggae Recipe be looking to do an in-person event soon?
Yes please, all things being equal, our next event may well be a hybrid one, giving people access to see the acts live in a space plus remaining forward thinking enough to showcase our event and make it available globally via online access.
What can we expect to see from Reggae Recipe LIVE in three words?
Great talent live!
Finally, do you have any other projects in the mix for the future? (Live events/livestreams that you can hint at for our readers)
More live / livestream Reggae Recipe events for sure, we’re thinking locally and internationally!
There is still time to buy your tickets for DJ Ras Kwame’s Reggae Recipe LIVE here!
DJ Ras Kwame Launches Reggae Recipe LIVE with ON AIR by Jessica Doran
