“Preserving a Specific Era of Music”: Y2K Series Revives Dancehall’s Golden Era with Cham as Headliner

Event promoter Delano and his partners will bring back the Kingston 21 series on July 20, with dancehall icon Cham as the headliner. “He’s a mega dancehall act with a solid catalogue and star quality,” Swiss explained, while emphasizing, “Y2K is curated to preserve a specific era of music, entertainment, and culture. just like art in a museum.”

"Cham is a mega dancehall act that has evolved since the start of the new millennium." (Cavuaghn Edwards)

Dancehall has been experiencing a notable resurgence in recent months, with promoters across the U.S., Canada, and North America embracing the momentum.

Among them is Kingston 21 Events, led by Swiss and his partners, who are curating standout experiences in both New York and Florida. Their upcoming event, Y2K: World Vibes, is set for Sunday, July 20, in Miramar. Headlined by dancehall icon Baby Cham, the event promises to deliver the best hits from the 2000s to today.

“Cham is a mega dancehall act that has evolved in a consistent manner since the start of the new millennium. If you even think of the global Y2K bug rolling into the new millennium, one of his iconic hits was on the Bug Riddim with Bounty Killer starting year 2000, ironically. It’s simple: solid catalogue and star quality ranging the timeframe and relevance makes him fit for Y2K Summer Jam,” the promoter explained.

For Swiss and his team, Y2K: World Vibes isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s about cultural preservation. “Y2K is curated to preserve a specific era of music, entertainment and culture. Just like paintings and art are preserved in a museum, entertainment and music is preserved and lives on through events,” the promoter shared.

As dancehall and reggae return to the spotlight, Swiss sees the moment as bigger than just a trend. “It’s important overall to bring not just dancehall but Caribbean music,” he said. “The brand curates different genres of music for Y2K Music Fest. Y2K Summer Jam is focused on R&B, Hip Hop, Dancehall, Soca, Pop, Afrobeats, and Kompa.”

With renewed interest in dancehall the event promoter sees an opportunity to deepen the connection with the global diaspora. “The resurgence of interest in dancehall helps us to showcase a little more emphasis to the diaspora that love Reggae and Dancehall,” he said.

Looking ahead, Swiss revealed that the brand is expanding its reach beyond Florida. “We have special plans for the series in other states due to a few requests for the brand Y2K Music Fest in different formats. Club Y2K in Tennessee and Y2K Roots Fest in California for next year.”