KINGSTON, Jamaica Mon. May 8, 2006: Young Barbadian singing sensation, Rihanna, will make her debut appearance in Jamaica at the world’s greatest reggae show, Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest.

The beautiful and sultry eighteen-year-old will grace the reggae stage on Saturday July 22, the final night of the festival, dubbed ‘The Summit.”

The catchy mixture of handclaps and drum rhythms on Rihanna’s ‘Pon de Replay,’ was last summer’s party anthem. Already, her first hit off of her sophomore album, ‘SOS’ is being touted as the song of this summer. It jumped 33 spots to claim the top spot on the billboard Hot 100 this past week, fuelled in part by the downloads of the track being purchased by the hip 18- 24 year old market.

Rihanna has collaborated with Jamaica’s very own Elephant Man, Vybz Cartel and Sean Paul. Besides ripping traditional reggae tracks like a seasoned dancehall queen, the stunning Rihanna possesses a powerful singing voice that conjures up feelings and experiences way beyond her years. It is no wonder that all it took was a quick audition with Shawn “Jay- Z” Carter, President and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, for the green-eyed beauty to solidify a recording contract with the multi-million dollar record company.

Rihanna has since been creating waves in the music industry with her combination of hip hop, jazz, R&B and reggae, and is expected to deliver a smashing performance when she hits the Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest stage in the Vibes City, Montego Bay.

Jomo Cato, director of marketing for Summerfest Productions, the promoters of the reggae festival, has been making no qualms about this year’s’ show, saying that it would be the biggest and best yet. He stands resolute that the inclusion of Rihanna in this year’s line up will contribute to achieving this.

“Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest has each year brought together the very best and hottest that each genre of music has to offer, this year is no different, Rihanna will add her Caribbean flavoured R&B to the event and I am sure that the fans will enjoy every minute of her performance,” Mr. Cato said.

Endorsing Mr. Cato’s comments, Carlo Redwood, Marketing Manager of Red Stripe, added, “It is important when putting together a grand showcase of music such as this one that you have a myriad of artistes that are talented, entertaining and capable of holding the attention of a predominantly Jamaican crowd, Red Stripe believes that Rihanna falls in this category.”

Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest will be held from July 16- 22, 2006. Fans are urged to call their favorite travel agent to make reservations today or log on to www.reggaesumfest.com for more information.

Dancehall acts Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Buju Banton and Sizzla, are also set to return to the stage of the 2006 Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest. The ‘Poor People’s Governor’ Bounty Killer, and the self-proclaimed ‘King of the Dancehall’ and Grammy award winner Beenie Man, will headline the highly anticipated event, which will also feature explosive performances from Elephant Man, Baby Cham, Capleton, Macka Diamond, Busy Signal, and Wayne Marshall.

Damon Dash Music Group recording artist Sizzla is the major Jamaican headliner for “IGNITION,” Friday night’s international showcase. This staging will also include at least three other leading international headlining stars.
The Saturday night climax, “THE SUMMIT,” will feature legendary Jamaican chart-topper Buju Banton. Recently acquitted of hate crime charges, Banton returns to Sumfest to perform alongside perennial crowd pleaser Beres Hammond, in what is expected to be a thrilling close to the festival. Sumfest organizers say more international stars would be joining the Saturday nightline up.

The festival also features the new Vibe Island Beach Party on Sunday, July 16th, with Jamaica’s hottest selectors, the “Reggae on the Runway’ fashion segment, and the ‘White House Fish Fiesta.’

The free street party ‘Mad Monday’s Mobay’ on Monday July 17th, staged in partnership with the Hip Strip community, will feature an arts and craft street fair, cuisine sampling for hip strip restaurants, and music from Jamaica’s biggest sound systems.