Drive through Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes or Miramar and you can hear where Florida reggae lives. Broward County is home to well over 100,000 people of Jamaican heritage, and locals call Lauderhill "Jamaica Hill." Add neighbors from Haiti, Trinidad and the rest of the islands, and South Florida's reggae, dancehall and soca share sound systems, stages and a carnival season. Each October, the region's Caribbean carnival parade rolls on soca, calypso, reggae and dancehall.
Gulf coast reggae
The Gulf side plays it more laid back. Reggae rock, the mix of roots reggae and rock that suits a beach bar, keeps local bands working from Clearwater to Fort Myers Beach. Reggae Rise Up Florida brings one of the country's biggest reggae lineups to Vinoy Park in downtown St. Pete each spring, with island acts and reggae rock bands sharing the bill.
Touring dates
National reggae and reggae rock tours lean on amphitheaters and outdoor stages, especially in summer. That means heat and the odd lightning delay, so drink water, wear a hat and keep an eye on the sky to the west.
Most of the reggae calendar runs through Fort Lauderdale, Miami and St. Pete, and the big outdoor weekends land on festivals.
