Stacious rejoins Sumfest stage during Mavado and Kartel night

Dancehall artiste Stacious made an unannounced Saturday-night appearance at Reggae Sumfest, taking the stage during Mavado’s set and turning a routine guest slot into a landmark festival moment. She came on as Mavado shared a historic bill with fellow headliner Vybz Kartel — a showcase framed around togetherness rather than the long-running feud that once defined both camps.

For Stacious, whose catalogue includes one of dancehall’s best-known pairings with Mavado, the night carried weight on both a personal and cultural level. “I can’t remember the last time I did Sumfest,” she told the Jamaica Observer after the show. “I know I’ve done the show three times in the past, but I can’t remember when was the last time. It’s a good feeling being back.”

That comeback followed a stretch of years off the Sumfest stage, which only sharpened the meaning of the set. “I’m here tonight not just as an artiste, but as a fan of dancehall because Gully/Gaza did a run road, and now both deejays will come together in unity on one stage. It’s an honour to be a part of it,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Crowds at Plantation Cove in St Ann felt much the same as thousands watched two of the genre’s biggest names share a stage and trade old rivalry for a joint celebration. The evening also reunited Stacious with the artist who helped produce Come Into My Room, among her standout collaborations.

“Mavado also hasn’t performed in Jamaica for a while and I’m here to witness the return of the Gully Gad, so it’s a great night,” she said. “Mavado and I haven’t performed together in maybe over 10 years, so it’s been a long time. The awesome thing is that it’s always good when we connect, and we enjoyed ourselves, which was most important.”

Stacious was one of the women who helped define dancehall through the late 2000s and early 2010s. Her unplanned Sumfest cameo nodded to that period while making clear she is still building. Beyond looking back, she says her priority is fresh material and reconnecting with her audience. She is pushing two current singles, Tears and Velvet Sweetheart; the latter now has an accompanying video and is streaming on digital platforms. She is urging supporters to subscribe to her YouTube channel and keep up with her social media for news on new releases, shows, and other career updates.