PM announces February as first ever 'Reggae Month'

Mr. Golding said in addition to being a part of our culture, reggae music has been used by Jamaicans as a means of expression and to communicate our experiences, trials and successes, as well as our joys and sorrows. He said the music has also been used to declare our position against oppression and suffering and to tell of our hopes, with the love as the underlying constant. He said this aspect of the music was the reason it had been embraced by people from around the world, but that Jamaicans felt no jealousy as, “reggae will always remain Jamaica and Jamaica will always remain reggae.”

He said it was also important for Jamaicans especially the youth to understand the power of the music, as they did not watch it grow through its many stages. Various methods will be used to analyze the music during the month of February including research, academic studies and the presentation of research papers at conferences. “All sorts of means will be used to examine it, to study it, to look at its history and in that process, help to guide its future development,” Mr. Golding said.

He cautioned that while the music can be seen as an instrument of advancement, if not used properly it could also become a lethal weapon which, instead of uplifting our people, is used to disparage women and undermine the value system that the country wants to support and institutionalize. He said it was therefore important to establish a framework that will guide the future development of the music and ensure that it can remain powerful even a hundred years from now.

Reggae Month will be used to consolidate a series of events into a passionate movement in order to give full recognition to the music as a cultural capital. The month of celebrations will also assert Jamaica’s authority on the music so there can be no ambiguity of its origin. Mr. Golding said the month will also be used to plant the seeds for a nation branding project to firmly establish Brand Jamaica. This year’s activities will also be used as a stepping stone for next year’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of reggae music.

Prime Minister Golding said he welcomed the opportunity to recognize the contribution of the music to Jamaica as well as that of the many musicians and promoters especially the pioneers who never gave up even when it did not enjoy widespread acclaim. He said the government would be in dialogue with representatives of the industry to see what kind of support it could give to create more opportunities for new artistes.

Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sport Olivia Grange who also spoke at the press launch, said reggae music is the heartbeat of Jamaica, a unique music created out of Jamaicans experiences of life. She said it represents memories of Africa and the spirituality that survive the journey across the Middle passage.

There will be a full calendar of activities to mark Reggae Month starting with the Bob Marley photographic exhibition, a football match at the National Stadium between the Reggae Boyz and Costa Rica on February 6, Reggae Academy awards and climaxing with the reggae Film festival at Island Village in Ocho Rios.

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