Saturday, June 29 brought down the house on the 26^th staging of the St Kitts Music Festival (SKMF). It was another night of high-level entertainment and the culmination of an experience like no other where music meets paradise annually in St Kitts.

First to grace the stage was the twenty-two (22) year-old Briannaugh D making her second appearance at the St Kitts Music Festival. Briannaugh is of Kittitian heritage and family and friends were among the massive audience to hear her perform tracks, backed by the Green House Band, such as “Feel the Heat” and “Elevate”. Ramone Watson, also backed by Green House Band, then joined the party. He joins Romaine Virgo and Christopher Martin as the other Digicel Rising Star to perform at the SKMF.

Nicholas Branker’s Band performed a set of energetic Caribbean Jazz Fusion including a collection of popular hits. Over the years, the SKMF crowd has never gotten enough of the Barbados-based band and was screaming for more at the end of their performance. Freddie Jackson, who performed on the first SKMF in 1996 was next on the card. He rocked the fans with favorites like “You Are My Lady”, “Have You Ever Love Somebody”, and “Rock Me Tonight”.

Nine-time Grammy Award winner Mary J Blige was welcomed to the SKMF stage with a loud cheer of approval. She wasted no time belting out hit after hit from her extensive R&B catalog. These included “No More Drama”, “Real Love”, “You Remind Me”, and “You Bring Me Joy”. She certainly lived up to her reputation as “Queen of Hip Hop, Soul and R&B”’

From his early days as a dancehall DJ to his rise as a pioneer of the “cultural reggae” movement, Tony Rebel’s influence reaches far beyond the boundaries of Jamaica, resonating with audiences worldwide. And resonate he did with the adoring fans at the Warner Park Stadium. Some of Tony Rebel’s most popular songs rendered at the SKMF included “Fresh Vegetable,” “Nazerite Vow,” “If I Love You,” and “Rise Up”.

Influential American rapper Rick Ross made his second appearance in St Kitts with a scintillating set of his most popular hits. Sprinkled with a few expletives, Ross engaged the crowd with his booming vocal performance, larger-than-life persona, and vivid lyrical imagery. His lyrics form the hardships of street life and black market economic activity into a rags-to-riches narrative, often describing affluence, wealth, and luxury.

To close out night 3 of the SKMF, young Jamaican artist 450 caught the attention of his dancehall fans with the song “Imperfection”, “Lonely”, and many more. The crowd stayed till the end and 450 did not disappoint. At the end of it all, a shower of fireworks signaled that the 26^th edition of the St Kitts Music Festival was over.