Wilmington festival set the stage for R&B music's comeback

The organizers behind Delaware's popular Reggae in the Park festival are hoping to strike a similar chord with R&B music, bringing the genre’s soulful sounds and nostalgic hits to a new audience at Bellevue State Park.

The inaugural R&B in the Park Delaware drew music lovers to the park’s amphitheater Sunday, Sept. 13, for an afternoon of live music, DJs, food trucks and sing-a-longs celebrating R&B from the 1980s through the 2000s. The festival, originally scheduled for Aug. 22, was postponed because of rain. The R&B group Shai, whose popularity soared with the a cappella track, "If I Ever Fall In Love" in 1992, headlined the concert.

Though clouds and early rain threatened the rescheduled event, the weather cleared enough for the music to go on. Adults 21 and older gathered beneath the trees lining the amphitheater, with more than 10 food trucks and vendors offering food, refreshments and alcoholic beverages.

Michael “Mega” Chin, co-founder of Reggae in the Park and a music promoter and DJ, said the festival was created to celebrate R&B’s influence and bring the music of the 1990s back to life in Delaware.

“R&B, along with other genres of music, is a universal language of the four corners of the earth,” he said.

Chin said he believes R&B has been pushed to the background in recent years, and he wanted to give the genre a dedicated space in the local music scene.

“The purpose of holding this event is to uplift, elevate, and inspire others about how powerful R&B music is,” Chin said.

A day of music, friendship and ’90s nostalgia

The afternoon began with the sun breaking through the clouds and seemingly setting the mood for the day. Early arrivals sang into inflatable microphones as more festivalgoers found seats and settled into the shaded areas.

The festival also featured a singalong led by hosts Nadj and Jae, who encouraged attendees across generations to join in on familiar R&B songs from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. DJs, including Chin, kept the music going with a mix of R&B hits and 1990s reggae-influenced R&B.

For Chrissy Montage, originally from Philadelphia, the event offered an opportunity to spend time with friends outside the usual bar and club scene.

“This is the only time we actually get to be together because, as adults, we have our own lives,” Montage said. “I'm a parent. We all have our own lives. So, stuff like this, we come together.”

Her friend Sharmaine Harris, who described herself as a “90s baby,” said she was looking forward to enjoying the music.

“I definitely get some of the good vibes, some of the good music, and I'm really excited for today, for sure,” Harris said.

CitiLimitz brings R&B to the stage and for all generations

Chin said younger audiences are missing the prominence and talent that once defined the genre.

“We're missing good talent,” he said. “I think that talent has been pushed to the side because anyone can make music now. You can make music right in your basement, whereas before you had to be talented to make music.”

Among the performers scheduled to take the stage were twin brothers Marion and A.T. Young, members of the vocal group CitiLimitz. The R&B and gospel group, originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, has appeared on “America’s Got Talent.”

R&B in the Park Delaware was presented by DETC Inc., the nonprofit organization behind Reggae in the Park Delaware. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and proceeds from the festival benefit its youth and community programs.