Jamaican roots-reggae ambassador Protoje rocked the Afro-Caribbean Music Festival in Miramar on Saturday night, which ended the city’s dedication to mark Black History Month. Almost three thousand Caribbean music lovers jammed the Miramar Amphitheater to see Protégé perform, and they were not disappointed.
The roots-reggae artist who once lived in Miramar gave a superb performance during his one-hour set to a crowd that was deeply immersed in his lyrics. Patrons waved and danced as he bellowed one hit after another, including Flames, Criminal, Rasta Love, Blood Money, and Who Knows.
Protoje’s hunger to perform was quite evident from the minute he took the stage with his Indignation band. The performance was filled with high energy and intensity until he exited the stage at 11:15 p.m., leaving the crowd wanting more.
Regarding his performance, he said: “It was good to be here performing. Nuff Jamaica people, nuff Caribbean people. It’s good to perform the music from Jamaica to them. I’ve just been waiting to get back on the road. I dropped an album but didn’t get to tour it. I’ve been kind of holding off, but it’s now time to get back on the road and hopefully play some music and connect with the people.”
Last Friday, Protoje got the news that his 2015 song, Who Knows, with his “favorite artiste” Chronixx, was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The award was given for sales of 200,000 copies.
Commenting on the designation, Protoje said: “It means a lot because we put in a lot of work in that song, and it was released independently. So, for it to sell 200,000 copies, I am very grateful. It somewhat validates the work we’ve been doing. We are happy that it happens and look forward to doing more things like that.”
Who Knows appeared on Protoje’s third album, Ancient Future (2015), which spent 17 weeks on the Billboard Chart and peaked at number one. The song currently boasts over 165 million views on YouTube.
Regarding working with Chronixx, he told CNW, “Me and Chronixx coming together was very special. We have nuff more works coming out that I believe can rival that. Chronixx is like a brother. We’ve been working since he started. He is a genius and one of my favorite artists. He is brilliant!”
Other songs the two friends have worked on include No Guarantee (2018), Flames (2018), and the Underdog remix (2020) with Alicia Keys.
Last year Protoje made former President Obama Summer Play List, along with Bob Marley and Koffee.
