What would the Reggae Marathon be without a party?  It starts Friday night at the Pasta Party at Couples Swept Away.  Make sure you stop by the Media tent just inside the Sporting Complex entrance and say hi.  I’ll be there from 3 pm on Friday afternoon. 

On Saturday morning the party continues with the torch light start at 5:15 am.  All the running and walking events start at the same time:  the 10 K, ½ and full marathons.     

Did I mention the music?  Music at the start…there’s nothing better than LOUD reggae music to get your blood pumping early in the morning.  Then there’s music along the entire route at each and every mile aid station.  When you need a boost, just run toward the music. 

Timmi Burrell

The party continues with Timmi Burrell live on stage at the Reggae Marathon Victory Party at Long Bay Beach Park starting at 8 am.  I’m looking forward to his performance.  Timmi Burrell is a multi-talented singer, song writer and record producer who was born in Spanish Town. He moved to Lances Bay, Hanover and attended the Cove Primary School. After primary school he attended Green Island High school where he completed his education.  

While growing up he was an avid music lover, singing was very natural to him and he was always singing just for the fun of it. However he was never really interested in singing as much as he was interested in dancing. In high school Timmi Burrell was a part of a dance group called the Hot Boys. The group was very popular among the school population and was always a hit on school concerts and community events.  After much encouragement from his friends Timmi Burrell decided to sing at a concert staged by the Studio 5 Youth Club in Green Island. The response he received from the audience was overwhelming. After his successful debut performance as a singer he made up his mind to pursue a career in music.

He met Negril based publicist, producer and artist manager Ralston Barrett in 2001. Ralston Barrett was very impressed with his talent and decided to work with him. The same year he recorded his first officially released single Tear It Off on Barrett’s B.I.G label. This effort was followed by other singles such as Up and Down (B.I.G Records) & Children Crying (B.I.G Records) done with former stable mate Silva Kid.

In 2007 he burst back onto the local music scene, with a re-recorded version of Children Crying, which received a fair amount of attention from radio stations both locally and abroad. Since then he has recorded several other songs for Ralston Barrett and other producers such as Computer Paul and Benzly Hype. On stage has delivered memorable performances on several events such as Western Consciousness, Teen Splash, Bob Marley Birthday Bash (Negril) and of course The Reggae Marathon Victory Party.

Timmi Burrell is a very humble and talented artist who has dedicated his whole life to music. With his smooth melodic vocals and his creative writing skills, he is definitely on the road to success.

Until next time…in Negril for the Reggae Marathon

that running guy