Reggae Month a celebration of Jamaica’s indigenous music

It has been a month since the celebration of Reggae Month, but Kaye Smith can still vividly recall the pulsating rhythms of the live performances she attended and the infectious energy of the crowds that surrounded her.

“Reggae Month offers me the perfect opportunity to let my hair down after a long day’s work, and that was the best part for me. There is nothing quite like unwinding to the soothing melodies of reggae music after a long day’s work,” says Smith.

Having acquired an insatiable appetite for reggae music over time, Smith prioritises participating in the annual Reggae Month celebrations in February, oftentimes virtually sharing the experience with her mother who lives abroad.

She has attended several activities over the years since Reggae Month’s inauguration in 2008.

She notes that this year’s staging was “extraordinary”, with several free events held, including a tribute concert for reggae legend Bob Marley, at Emancipation Park in Kingston.

She is looking forward to an exhilarating Reggae Month 2025 celebrations with more live shows in Kingston.

QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT

Reggae Month is a vehicle for celebrating and promoting the country’s indigenous genre of music while simultaneously focusing on the development of the music industry and other cultural industries and the opportunities they present.

Activities are coordinated mainly by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport and music industry partners headed by the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA).

Both entities benefit from sponsorship from organisations such as the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund to bring Reggae Month alive each year.

A combined total of $35 million was provided this year to the entities by the Fund.

Chief Executive Officer of the CHASE Fund, W. Billy Heaven, says that the entity’s yearly contribution to Reggae Month falls under the organisation’s Arts and Culture portfolio.

Since its inception, CHASE Fund has approved approximately $4.2 billion for projects that fall under this portfolio.

Heaven says the organisation looks forward to supporting the month-long observance, as Reggae Month provides a stage for quality entertainment and an opportunity for the public to learn more about the music and the industry.

“We applaud the ministry and JaRIA for continuing to provide the platform and broadening the participation of Jamaicans by continuing to make many of these activities free to the public,” he says.

Heaven notes that free access to Reggae Month activities is welcomed by his organisation.

“This is in keeping with the mandate of the Fund to not only train and support talent with the aim of retaining our cultural musical expressions, but also to grow the appreciation for reggae music by providing the funding that allows the productions to be offered free to the public,” he shares.

GLOBAL SPREAD

The ministry’s flagship Children of the Icons Concert is one of the events that patrons enjoy at no cost every year.

Another is the JaRIA’s Reggae Open University seminar and workshop series, which aims to refine the skills of local talent, empower industry professionals, and elevate Jamaican music standards.

JaRIA has received support from the Fund over the past 20 years to further its efforts during the month as well as advocate for industry professionals.

The entity’s chairman, Ewan Simpson, says the Fund’s contribution of $10 million this year allowed JaRIA to host 14 events during Reggae Month.

“From very early in the day, the CHASE Fund has been a bulwark for JaRIA. Without its contribution this year, we would not have been able to execute our Reggae Month agenda. We are grateful for the support,” says Mr Simpson.

Like Smith, Simpson is looking forward to the next years’ Reggae Month. He hopes that with the CHASE Fund’s assistance, JaRIA will be able to host events in more parishes, namely Clarendon, Portland, St Thomas, and Westmoreland.

The chairman also intends to increase the global spread of the celebration.

This year, the entity partnered with the city of Miramar and the Bad Boys of Reggae music band to host Reggae Month in Florida and the Shoot for the Stars Foundation to stage activities in New York.

Now, he wants to take the celebrations to Toronto, Canada, and Paris in France.