Romain Virgo has crafted the perfect sales pitch for reggae solo shows, captivating audiences both at home and abroad. The lover’s rock singer, who gained fame after winning Jamaica’s Rising Stars competition, is now promoting his fourth studio album, “The Gentle Man,” along with a tour of the same name.
Virgo has taken his event across the island and parts of North America, culminating in a return to Kingston, Jamaica, on Father’s Day.
When host Debbie Bissoon, who kept the proceedings flowing with elegance, humor, and class announced Virgo’s arrival at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Center in St. Andrew at approximately 10:00 pm, the crowd—estimated to be about 2,500 but looking closer to 3,000—was shoulder to shoulder, ready to jam to his hits which happened for over two hours.
At about ten minutes into his set however, 34 year old Romain Virgo, seemingly overwhelmed took a short break, then got back to business as a true show man.
During the set, he brought out reggae acts Protoje, Jesse Royal, and legendary lover’s rock artist Beres Hammond, 68, who elicited screams reminiscent of a Lil Bow Wow concert in the early 2000s.
A gentleman in the audience even made a memorable marriage proposal while Romain was on stage.
The Gentle Man Kingston set lasted until 1:00 am, and the mostly female patrons stayed the course with the ‘Love Doctor’ singer until the final note and over 20 songs.
As the curtains closed on the event, host Debbie Bissoon encouraged patrons keep supporting reggae music saying, “Let live music, let reggae music live.”
Romain’s Manager Niko Browne told WMV, “The Gentle Man Tour continues in Europe, June 27 in Belgium and we end August 16 Rotterdam, doing a total of 13 Festivals in Europe.”
“The Gentle Man,” album sold 1,000 combined album equivalent units in its first week in the U.S., including 100 pure sales and 1.5 million on-demand audio and video streams. The album didn’t make the Billboard Reggae Albums chart but peaked at No. 8 on the iTunes Reggae Albums chart and top ten on Apple Music in several countries, including #2 in Grenada and Jamaica.
“The Gentle Man,” released on March 1, 2024, features collaborations with Patoranking, Masicka, and Capleton, with production by Donovan ‘Doncorleon’ Bennett and Phillip ‘Winta’ James. Virgo launched the album with sold-out shows in St. Ann, Montego Bay, and St. Elizabeth. This album marks his final release under VP Records.
Virgo’s previous album, “Love Sick” (2018), peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. His 2012 album “The System” reached No. 6, and his 2015 EP “Lifted” hit No. 7 on the same chart.
