Dating back to the 16th century, African and Caribbean communities have intertwined. This fusion is unmistakably present in today’s world, especially in music, where the sounds of afrobeats, amapiano and dancehall harmonize.
LVRN (Love Renaissance) has officially made a purposeful investment in the cultural brand Jerk X Jollof, an initiative dedicated to sustaining bonds amid African and Caribbean cultures. Together, the two powerhouses plan to enhance the influence of these cultures beyond their localities and drive their global appeal.
In 2016, Chukwudi ‘Chuks’ Nwamba and Brendan Asante established Jerk X Jollof in Detroit, creating a party series aimed at fostering a sense of pride among Africans and Caribbeans for their cultures and each other. The dynamic has surged since its alignment with LVRN, showcasing international sensations such as British Nigerian grime rap icon Skepta, Uncle Waffles from Swaziland, Soulection’s Joe Kay and Andre Power, Nigerian producer Sarz, and Nigerian-American DJ Tunez.
Tunde Balogun, cofounder of LVRN, is spearheading the profound partnership and revealed to the writer that the primary catalyst for the initiative was African diasporic unity—a reality that touched his psyche while managing DJ Spinall, one of Nigeria’s pinnacle disc jockeys. Spinall’s mastery on the tables during a 2022 Jerk X Jollof event at New York Fashion Week showcased the enchanting ambiance of the venue, which involved various cultures of the African diaspora in harmonious leisure.
“The beauty was of the community that came out… Africans from all different countries, people from the Caribbean, and even those who weren’t from either community came to experience our culture,” Tunde shared.
A display of such enjoyment is bound to dispel the downbeat stigma surrounding Africans and Caribbeans, which often encourages disassociation from one another. Growing up as a Nigerian-American in Atlanta, Balogun is no stranger to this rhetoric but finds it faulty, as he has proved through the reserved success of LVRN.
A sample of the elevated Jerk X Jollof experience came to Houston last week, courtesy of LVRN, featuring Nigerian emcee Odumodublvck, South African Amapiano duo Major League Djz, and DJ Spinall, all frequent collaborators with the brands.
The initiative’s title is a direct reflection of its motto, spotlighting two of the African diaspora’s most revered dishes: Jamaica’s jerk chicken and West Africa’s jollof rice. The food element of the initiative underscores its international appeal, with these renowned dishes being featured as Jerk X Jollof expands to various locations.
Wherever they travel, they make it a point to work with trustworthy local food vendors who have confirmed expertise in the respective dishes. In essence, the jerk chicken is likely to come from a Jamaican cook, and the jollof rice is surely to be prepared by a Nigerian chef. These vendors are paid, but attendees at any Jerk X Jollof event can enjoy the delightful dishes for free.
However, the partnership between LVRN and Jerk X Jollof holds a primary focus on creatives, particularly DJs. With a core focus on curating high quality events, the union prioritizes unearthing disc jockeys and producers who are often overlooked that are known in their localities for forging the ambiance. Having spent 12 years as a DJ prior to becoming a music executive, Balogun knows this all too well.
“DJs have pretty much positioned themselves as an artist, like Spinall, TXC, Uncle Waffles, and Black Coffee, those types of people. And I said, I was like, you know what? I want to be involved with the globalization of this. I don’t see any reason why the talent I’m working with in the African and Caribbean space, who are DJing and emerging as artists, can’t be as big or bigger than Calvin Harris, Peggy Gou, Diplo, or Martin Garrix,” said Balogun.
Without any doubt, the theme of diversity is not only reflected in the profound union’s brand but throughout their task force. LVRN comprises men from Nigeria, Jamaica, Ghana, and Trinidad and has recently made a conscious decision to be inclusive of women.
“I’m from Nigeria, two of my partners are from Ghana, one from Jamaica, one from Trinidad, and we’re all guys. And one of the most important things that we established early on was like, if it’s going to be us founding, then we have to make sure we’re a diverse set of people, especially when it comes to women in high-level positions,” Balogun remarked.
Balogun has mastered bringing talents of the African diaspora to the forefront through LVRN from the phenomenon of DJ Spinall, hosting Summer Walker’s debut album, Over It, to running the marketing campaign for Davido’s Timeless album, arguably one of the Afrobeats’ powerhouse most refined works.
Jerk X Jollof has attracted the likes of Chris Brown, Ayra Starr, and Davido to be stationed as attendees which is reflective of its unifying nature. With their eye on quality, featuring their house hosts and DJs Jae Murphy, Blakito, and V-Liv, the event series is bound to take off in October with a Jerk X Jollof Stage at Promiseland Australia at Douglas Jennings Park in the Gold Coast.
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