The African Caribbean International Festival of Life (IFOL) stands as a vibrant testament to the rich cultural tapestry of the African and Caribbean diaspora. This annual event, deeply rooted in community engagement and celebration, has become a cornerstone of Chicago's cultural landscape.
A History of Community and Celebration
Ephraim Martin, a key figure in Chicago's cultural scene, has been instrumental in the festival's development. Since September 1982, Martin established the Special Event business, Martin’s International at 1325 South Wabash Avenue, when the area was a ghost town. Now 35th years later, 1325 Wabash is still the historic home for Martin's annual Chicago Music Awards (CMA), the International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) and the annual International Festival of Life (IFOL).
On Sunday, October 2, 2016, at the conclusion of his 35th International Reggae & World Music Awards (IRAWMA) and his 100th Annual Entertainment Event, Ephraim Martin created history and set a record as the only known person alive to have consecutively produced 100 Annual Entertainment (Awards/Festivals) Events. The 100th Annual Event milestone occurred over a 35 years period with four unbroken annual events.
Amidst the coronavirus, in May 2020, following the killing of George Floyd; Ephraim Martin along with the support of his wife, Justice Shelvin L. M. Dr. and other organizations with the objectives of an end to crime and for peace in the city. Martin’s annual Festival of Life was in progress, and the late Dr. Rev. Shelvin J.
Ephraim Martin along with the support of his wife, Justice Shelvin L. M. Chicago’s Founding Father, Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable who was from the Caribbean country of Haiti, with the goals of renaming Lake Shore Drive (LSD) as DuSable Drive, a major 25-foot Monument and for a city Holiday for DuSable.
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The Festival Experience
The 18th annual African/Caribbean International Festival of Life featured two stages of hip-hop, reggae, soul, gospel, calypso, soca, and more. The festival’s big names played the International Stage, among them R & B songstress Angela Winbush, English-born Barbadian soca artist Alison Hinds, Jamaican dancehall deejay Admiral Bailey, Tobagonian singer Calypso Rose, Gramps Morgan of Morgan Heritage, and reggae star Shaggy, the man responsible for the 1995 hit single “Boombastic".
The festival’s many other attractions include a slew of vendors selling international food, arts, and crafts.
40th Anniversary IRAWMA (International Reggae/World Music Awards), Kingston, Jamaica, May 7, 2023.
JSVFest: A Celebration of Jerk, Seafood, and Vegan Cuisine
Martin's International is also in preparation for its annual JSVFest. We again look forward to the strong community partnership with sponsors, families, friends and others who will be treated to the real taste and satisfaction of Jerk, Seafood and Vegan cuisines; plus music, arts, crafts , corporate branding and more.
The JSVFest is a great vehicle for corporations, organizations and other community businesses to market, promote and sell goods or services. Businesses are invited to brand their company/organization as a sponsorship partner and/or exhibiting vendor to tap into this diverse and multicultural community market.
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