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Recently, a few friends and I headed to the Blues Kitchen in Brixton for a monthly Reggaeoke event. The venue, known for its vibrant atmosphere and delicious Caribbean-inspired cuisine, was the perfect setting for our reggae-themed Karaoke night. The eager audience swayed to the riddims of the best of the best, with song selections including Beres Hammond, Tarrus Riley, Barrington Levy, Vybz Kartel, and Mr Vegas, with a dash of Soca for good measure.
What Is Reggaeoke?
If you’ve never heard of Reggaeoke, it is London’s first reggae karaoke night, which has been running since July 2014 and a concept which was conceived from the frustration of founder and host of Reggaeoke Janine Yates at the lack of karaoke events catering to the Caribbean music we all adore, primarily Reggae, Dancehall, Lovers Rock with a touch of Soca and judging from the packed venue it is a popular event it wasn’t just the founder and host Janine Yates that felt that way as it seemed that share this one of a kind experience with a whole heap of people.
In true Lee-Anne fashion, I arrived late at 8 pm; there was only a standing room by then. Luckily, my party had a booth booked that I could slide into because, thanks to Lupus, I cannot stand up all night.
Shout out to the host, Janine Yates, who naturally makes everyone in the room feel at ease. This gave the room the confidence to start signing up on the song slips, get on stage, and perform in front of strangers, ensuring a steady flow of performers throughout the evening with her energy and charisma.
The crowd’s enthusiastic dancing, singing, and cheering created a definite party atmosphere in parts of the room.
But with a songbook filled with favourite Reggae classics such as Uptown Top Ranking, Silly Games, No Woman No Cry, and You Do not Love Me, I do not think anyone could resist having a skank.
Hats off to all the performers, especially my girl Linda, as they all gave it their all!
On the other hand, I have to confess that even though my family is Jamaican, I don’t know all the words to any reggae songs, so I got a bit karaoke shy and did not perform on this occasion—maybe next time. Reggaeoke is a regular event at the Blues Kitchen, so I’m sure there are plenty of opportunities to go along and unleash my inner diva.
However, I joined in with the dancing and cheered on the performers like a true cheerleader.
I really liked the room’s ambience and vibe. The cocktails were top-notch, and Reggaeoke boasted a cool karaoke system that allowed performers to sign up for a song online beforehand or fill in song slips for the shoebox during the evening.
Reggaeoke’s Xmas Vibes Fest
Tickets for Reggaeoke’s Xmas Vibes Fest on Sun 22 December are now available on the Reggaeoke website.
Reggaeoke Need To Know Info:
- Tickets: £8
- Doors: 8 pm
- Karaoke from 9 pm
- Post karaoke party until 1 am
- Arrive early for song sign-up!
The doorman told me that this event is always in high demand, and tickets are known to sell out online well in advance, so if you want to unleash your inner Caribbean artist and get on the stage to do your thing, don’t delay to avoid disappointment.
Also, limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Your ticket is for entry, not a guaranteed seat.
For more event information, you can contact organisers directly at [email protected]
If you have nothing to do on a Sunday evening and love Reggae music, come along and support this event. It is worth it.
Would you be brave enough to take on Reggaeoke?
If so, what Reggae song would you perform?
Pop your answers in the comments box below.
