Since moving to Greenfield in 2020, Mpress Bennu Nembhard has worked hard to make the town a better place. She has done this through her job as chair of Greenfield’s human rights commission, becoming president-elect of the Franklin Country Rotary Club, as a community outreach officer at Greenfield Savings Bank, and as CEO of Moving Mountains, an organization she formed to promote positive energy and good community service.

As part of her unwavering commitment to making a difference, Nembhard facilitated Greenfield’s Juneteenth celebrations. Understanding the pivotal role of music in community building, she made it a significant part of the event.

Now Nembhard is bringing a day of music to Greenfield when she hosts the first Greenfield Reggae Festival.

The festival will be held on Sunday, Aug. 11, from 12 to 5 p.m. at the Greenfield Energy Park. The Greenfield Reggae Festival is a free, family-friendly event where even dogs are welcome. NBS Malay, The Thunderballs, AbdouSarr, DJ Steve Austin, and headliner Michael Palmer will be performing.

Caribbean and Filipino Street food will be available on-site, as well as other vendors. Woofer Wagon will even be on hand to sell dog food for the pampered pooch in your life.

Considering that Nembhard is involved in many varied projects, many may not know that she has an extensive history of working in reggae music as a promoter and performer.

Her deep roots in Jamaica, the birthplace of reggae, form the foundation of her love and work in reggae music.

“My father was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and migrated here in the late ‘60s, making America his home,” Nembhard said. “My husband is from Clarendon, Jamaica, so I tend to stay true to my cultural roots.”

This personal connection to the music is what fuels her passion for reggae, a genre known for its positive lyrics, rhythmic beats and bass-heavy sound.

“I was on the prior West Indian Carnival’s board out of Springfield … where I took part in the planning and organizing for the Annual Caribbean Parade and Carnival,” she recalled. “I was also a well-known promoter of reggae parties in the early 2000s, so I traveled to Connecticut, Vermont, New York, and New Jersey to market these events.”

In addition, she was a performer, performing alongside reggae greats such as Sizzla, Capleton, Lady Lee, and Sister Nancy.

“Around this area I performed with Ras Jahn of Loose Caboose and the Alchemystics, and I also performed in western Massachusetts, Vermont, and the Charlemont Reggae Festival.”

With a background like this, you can understand how hosting a reggae festival would come naturally.

“It took some time to get to know the area and the community before I took on this project,” Nembhard said. “Since Juneteenth had just completed its third year, which was accepted positively, I felt it was time to bring the community something more — some Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Alton Ellis, Dennis Brown, Gregory Issacs — and, of course, Michael Palmer energy.”

Let’s look at some of the musicians who will create that magical energy.

The Thunderballs are a roots-reggae band led by Jamaican singer-songwriter NL Dennis. Dennis, known as the “golden voice of Jamaica,” has an extensive and impressive history on the Jamaican music scene. Dennis provided harmonies to legendary artists like Toots Hibbert and Desmond Dekker and in the 1970s released a series of cult classic singles like “Help I Jah” with the original Thunderballs. Years later, in the 1990s, he teamed up with composer and keyboardist Peter Eisenkramer with whom he continues to record and tour throughout the U.S. and Jamaica.

NBS Malay, a singer and spoken word artist from Springfield, is also on the lineup, as is DJ Steve Austin from Brooklyn, who has a bi-weekly radio show on 102.3 Red Hot Radio. Both are alums of this year’s Juneteenth celebration. Abode Sarr is a dancer from Senegal who has danced with groups like Tony Vacca’s World Rhythms.

That brings us to Michael Palmer, also known as “Palma Dog,” who was one of the most popular and successful vocalists of the dance hall era. He grew up in Kingston, and his neighbor, reggae artist Leroy Smart, encouraged him to sing. He started out performing with sound systems such as Stereophonic Sounds in the late 1970s and in the ‘80s had a string of hits, including songs like “Smoke the Weed” and “Lick Shot” — a number one hit in Jamaica. He stepped away from music for a while and started recording and touring again in 2017.

I asked Nembhard why she chose Palmer to be the headliner, and she gave me a straightforward answer.

“Why Michael Palmer? Because he’s a reggae icon in the industry. Michael Palmer has been in the business and made it to be an international reggae star. I firmly believe if you’re going to start something, start big, and that is why Michael Palmer is coming,” Nembhard said. “The real question is, who will be coming next year?”

Nembhard is also the producer of Moving Mountains Media, which is on GCTV. Filming and live interviews will be conducted at this event.

If you are a fan of gospel and soul music, head to Whately on Wednesday, Aug. 7, for a show with the Sensational Barnes Brothers. This up-and-coming act will perform at the Whately Town Hall at 7:30 p.m. (The show is part of the Watermelon Wednesday concert series, but please note that it will be at the Whately Town Hall.)

Chris Barnes and his brother Courtney have been singing for as long as they can remember, and growing up in Memphis, music was a big part of their family. Their father was the gospel singer Calvin “Duke” Barnes, and their mother, Deborah, once worked as a backing vocalist for Ray Charles. Deborah and Calvin sang together with various groups over the years, and Courtney, Chris, and their siblings would often serve as backup singers.

The two brothers later formed a gospel soul/duo as an outlet for their powerful, expressive voices and have sung background for the Bar-Kays. They’ve also worked with Latin Grammy-nominated Making Movies and the lead singer of The Black Keys, Dan Auerbach, on his solo album.

They released their debut album “Nobody’s Fault But My Own” in 2019, and the album was hailed as a modern sacred soul classic. They have a new album of all original material coming out this fall.

The brothers haven’t done much touring here on the East Coast but have won over audiences out west where they have played festivals like Telluride Bluegrass Festival. When the brothers arrive in Whately, they will be joined by their five-piece band. Come check them out while they are still playing at small venues!

Tickets are available at watermelonwedensdays.org.

Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at soundslocal@yahoo.com.