GITP returns for 5th Annual Fest
By Dennis Kabatto – You probably have heard about Groovin’ In The Park (GITP), a pop, R&B and reggae summer festival in New York but have not attended any of its shows.
No worries, opportunities abound when GITP returns for its 5th season on June 28 at Roy Wilkins Park in Jamaica, New York.
GITP promoters announced Tuesday the addition of veteran reggae singer and former I-Threes member, Judy Mowatt to what they describe as a “dazzling lineup.” She joins double headliners and Grammy winners Michael Bolton and Billy Ocean together with Cocoa Tea, Luciano, Stitchie, Capleton and Morgan Heritage.
“Our primary aim each year is to deliver to the concert stage the best available talent that reggae and R&B music has to offer,” said Chris Roberts, CEO and founder of GITP.
“We focus on quality from the performers, the ambiance in the park, production, security, stage, light and sound. We have built our brand on executing what we advertise and delivering to patrons what they expect and much, much more,” Robert explained the festival’s underpinnings in a statement.
Robert said meticulous planning and delivery on promise in addition to professional technical standards that the festival has set for executing this extravaganza has re-defined expectations and raised the bar for all other music festivals in the region.
That painstaking planning and devotion has helped the festival flourished in leaps and bounds. According to Roberts, The festival pulled a record 13, 000 patrons in 2013 and close to 20,000 in 2014, compared to a meager 6,000 in 2011.
GITP promoters are anticipating that the addition of popular Jamaican radio deejay, Boogieman ‘Barry G’ Gordon alongside New York’s Award winning radio broadcaster, Ras Clem as co emcees for this year’s festival would stoke Jamaicans in the Diaspora who grew up on the island in the 70s, 80s and 90s to surpass last year’s record attendance.
