On Saturday January 2nd the lawns of Jamaica House will come to life with the sights and sounds of the 2016 installment of the ‘Shaggy & Friends’ benefit concert. The concert, which is now a biennial event, aims to surpass 2014’s yields for the Bustamante Hospital for Children under the theme I Dare.
The upcoming staging of the concert, which is organized by the Shaggy Make A Difference Foundation, will be its fifth and is set to be the biggest one yet. Proceeds from the last 2 concerts were directed towards completing the first diagnostic Catheterization Laboratory (Cath Lab) totally dedicated to children in the English-speaking Caribbean; however, considering the dire needs of the children that pass through the Hospital day to day, the Foundation is re-focusing its energy on the needs of the general hospital population. “We feel that during this sensitive time, healthcare needs our attention more than ever,” said Rebecca Packer, Executive Director of the Foundation, who also announced that media giant iHeartMedia and Italian automaker FIAT are joining forces with the Foundation for the event.
The FIAT® brand stands for discovery through passionate self-expression. That philosophy is embodied by the iconic Fiat 500 or Cinquecento – a small car that lives big. Italian at heart and rooted in a rich heritage, the 500 is sold in more than 100 countries around the world and is synonymous with modern, simple design blending form, function, technology and a pride of ownership that is genuine.. FIAT is partnering with The Shaggy & Friends Foundation to bring the concert programming and information to radio, television and digital.
With 245 million monthly listeners in the U.S. and more than 87 million monthly digital uniques, iHeartMedia has the largest reach of any radio or television outlet in America. Its 858 radio stations and content can be heard on AM/FM, HD digital radio, satellite radio, on the Internet at iHeartRadio.com and on the company’s radio station websites, on the iHeartRadio mobile app, on tablets and smartphones, and on gaming consoles. iHeartRadio, its all-in-one streaming music and live digital radio service, has more than 700 million downloads and reached 70 million users faster than any other radio or digital music service and even faster than Facebook.
iHeartMedia will promote the ‘Shaggy & Friends’ benefit concert and the SMS “text to donate” details with nationwide on-air and digital promotion across more than 120 CHR (Contemporary Hit Radio) and RCHR (Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio) broadcast radio stations and on iHeartRadio. iHeartMedia will also produce a 60 minute rebroadcast of the benefit concert January 3 at 8 p.m. local time across its stations as well as on its iHeartRadio digital platform.
The Foundation will also be expanding its online and social media portals; namely its website (www.shaggyfoundation.org), Twitter (@shaggynfriends), Instagram (@ShaggyandFriends) and Facebook (Shaggy and Friends).
Performers for the event includes Ashanti, Nelly, girl group En Vogue, international chart-topping Jamaican act OMI, American-based duo R City, and the main headliners. They will be joined by Inner Circle, Bugle, Ding Dong, Beenie Man, Ghost, Terror Fabulous, Nadine Sutherland, and gospel artiste Kevin Downswell.
Shaggy & Friends 2016 will have three access tiers—Silver, Gold and Platinum. Each will cost JD$5000, JD$10,000 and JD$20,000 respectively
Started in 2009, Shaggy and Friends concert has raised more than US$ 1.6 million and purchased more than 450 pieces of essential, life-saving equipment for The Bustamante Hospital for Children.