According to King, his effort to highlight positive dancehall should come as no surprise as Western Consciousness which is in its twenty-third year has always embraced dancehall, but with a positive focus:
“We were the ones who brought Ras Moses to the conscious stage and even before that we brought Pinchers to the stage. These are some of what some people would consider hardcore artistes, but what some ignore is the fact that these artistes have a tremendous catalogue of what we would describe as positive music”
The veteran show promoter says that over the years the show has not gotten the support from corporate Jamaica but he continues to fulfil his dream of bringing conscious music to the market. “My shoulders have been bearing this show for decades but I know that my work is not in vain as people the world over look to Western Consciousness as a beacon of hope in the industry”
This year the show features a slew of reggae and dancehall artistes. Headlining the event will be Tanya Stephens, Rodney Price, Ras Moses, Stevie Face, I-Octane, Romain Virgo, Hezron, Lutan Fyah, Hero, Freddie McGregor, Dubtonic Kru and several others. As with all Western Consciousness staging, the emphasis will be placed on conscious music and no variation from that norm will be tolerated.
Western Consciousness 2011, the one night event which is a celebration of good over evil seeks to keep positive music prominent in the business. The show will take place on April 30 at Paradise Park in Westmoreland.