Weddy Weddy stages sold-out Queens show in first overseas anniversary celebration

Wednesday, July 1, brought a milestone for Winston ‘Wee Pow’ Powell, the man behind the long-running Weddy Weddy weekly. For the first time in the event’s 23-year run, the popular mid-week session left Jamaican soil for an overseas anniversary kick-off — and the idea came from his daughter, Chanelle ‘Chan Pow’ Powell.

“Weddy Weddy get passport, visa, work permit … everything … and tek a fly out,” an upbeat Wee Pow told THE STAR.

The veteran selector and Stone Love founder — the official sound behind Weddy Weddy — normally runs the gathering each Wednesday from Stone Love’s Burlington Avenue base in St Andrew. Every July, the brand marks another year with a major celebration. This time, the anniversary opener landed at Compound in Queens, New York, while the home celebration is set for Wednesday, July 22.

Wee Pow said the New York crowd turned out in force. “It got a remarkable turnout. It was the first mid-week event to sell off in that part of the USA. My daughter, Chan Pow was the promoter. She has taken up the baton for Stone Love in America and she is doing very well,” he said. “She’s a road runner like her father.”

He praised the full crew behind the night. “Music was provided by Next Level sound system with selectors Foota Hype, Boom Boom,and Harry Hype, and Stone Love with Randy Rich. It was really an excellent, event.”

One supporter wrote on social media: “From classic anthems to the hottest hits, this is another unforgettable night of music, culture, and high-energy entertainment.”

Chan Pow described the overseas Weddy Weddy as “a long time idea waiting to happen”. “With the assistance of my sister Vanessa, my brother Duane, aka Duane Pow, and one of my cousins, the New York Stone Love Family and the New York Weddy Weddy fans made the dream came true,” she said.

She recalled that when she first raised the plan with her father, he was not fully convinced it would work. After they spread word across New York, positive responses began rolling in from fans. Even so, Wee Pow offered a practical warning: “Some people will reach out and still won’t show up.”

“But, overall he was very supportive of the new wave that we are bringing to dancehall,” Chan Pow said. She has only been to Weddy Weddy in Jamaica two or three times in her life. “Dad was very big on education with us as kids. So partying was out the question. Now that I’m grown and have my own team in place, I wanted to make history on my own as well and bring Weddy Weddy to the States,” she explained.

The scale of the response caught her off guard. “But I thank God for the fans who follow and support the Weddy Weddy movement and made it possible.”

Though she throws an annual birthday party, Chan Pow said she does not see herself as a professional event planner — the work simply feels natural to her. She also stressed how deeply the Stone Love name runs in her life. “Dancehall runs in my veins… in 2018 I had my first party and from there I knew this was something I will definitely be interested in. Year in and year out I kept my annual birthday party and it became more and more successful each year. This legacy is important to me because it’s more than just a legacy, it’s family, it’s where history is being created,” she said.

Buoyed by the success of Weddy’s first overseas run, she and her team are already looking ahead. “It showed us that the culture is alive and well beyond Jamaica. As long as the fans continue to support the movement, I would love to make Weddy Weddy overseas an annual event and continue bringing authentic Jamaican dancehall culture to audiences around the world,” Chan Pow told THE STAR.