Shaggy and Friends goes international

Dancehall artiste Shaggy has teamed up with international companies iHeartMedia and FIAT Brand for Shaggy & Friends Benefit Concert on January 2, 2016.

The event will be held on the lawns of Jamaica House and according to Shaggy, his new friends will expose the show to over 200 million viewers through delayed streaming.

iHeartMedia has the largest reach of any television or radio outlet in the US with over 245 million listeners each month. The company also has more than 700 million downloads and reached 70 million users faster than any other radio or digital music service including popular social network site Facebook.

Shaggy said the collaboration with iHeartmedia and FIAT will open doors for the growth of the five year old event, which was launched at the Bustmante Hospital for Children in St Andrew on Monday. He also said the city of Kingston stands to benefit from the promotion.

"Every dollar from the show has always gone towards purchasing equipment and supplies for the hospital. That is why we say one ticket equals one life. So if we find additional streams for people to assist especially from people who cannot attend the concert, we welcome them with open arms. Our partnership with iHeartmedia and FIAT expands our capacity to do that exponentially. They might not be able to attend the show, but they will get a chance to donate if they can," Shaggy said.

The event will carry Sliver, Gold and Platinum bands. Each will cost $5,000, $10,000 and $20,000 respectively.

For more information on Shaggy & Friends, fans can follow shaggynfriends on Twitter and Instagram and Shaggy and Friends on Facebook. To be involved in the social media activities, persons may hashtag #teamshaggy4kids.

Recording artistes Popcaan, Busy Signal and Kevin Downswell were in attendance.