Rebel Salute at 30

By the end of 1993, Tony Rebel, born Patrick Barrett, had a lot to celebrate. His recent signing to Columbia Records produced the album Vibes of the Times, and he was featured on Weekend Love, track 13 on Queen Latifah’s gold-selling third album, Black Reign. He was also making steps to create his record label, Flames Production.

Following a successful year, on Saturday, January 15, 1994, Tony Rebel celebrated his birthday with a stage show. The event was held at Fayors Entertainment Complex in Mandeville and surpassed expectations when over 15,000 persons showed up. As history will have it, this marked the first staging of one of the region’s most esteemed music festivals, Rebel Salute. Coming off this success, Tony Rebel continued to keep his birthday bash and it eventually grew to become a staple on Jamaica’s festival scene. In a 2016 interview with The Gleaner, he said the following about the first staging:

“The next morning, it was obvious in my mind that this was a new chapter and I had to do it again.”

Coupled with a high level of detailed event planning, world-class production and a slew of Jamaica’s best musical talent, many would soon forget that the event is really a birthday party. Every year since its first staging, the festival has been held around the weekend of the 15th of January. It has also continued its strict rules of no meat (only fish), no alcohol, no drugs and no weapons. Still, even though the date and rules have been consistent, the festival has changed its venue throughout the years. After having been at Fayors, it was soon moved to Brooks Park in Manchester. In 2000, it was then held at the Port Kaiser Sports Club in St Elizabeth. This seemed ideal, as one of the issues of Brooks Park was a cold front which affected the parish and saw patrons bundled up with each other to seek warmth. The festival would stay there until 2013, when it was moved to Richmond Estate in St Ann. The year 2013 was also the first year that the festival expanded from one night to two. In 2015, it was moved to Grizzly’s Plantation Cove, its current home – continuing the same two days’ line-up.

Besides the venue, the festival has evolved in other ways. In 2016, they introduced the Herb Curb. According to the organisers, this enclosed, adults-only area featured “exhibits, herb practitioners, educators, speakers and medical professionals, including medical doctors, who explore everything from the sacramental to the medicinal, to the economic marvels of marijuana”. This would pay dividends to the local marijuana economy. Talking to the Caribbean Life News in 2018, Delano Seiveright, then director of the Cannabis Licensing Authority, stated that,“Rebel Salute has played a critical role in the two years of marijuana decriminalisation”.

Then, there was the establishment of an arts village at the festival, which further promoted and propelled the nation’s orange economy. Food vendors all over the country have also benefited with the introduction of a food court at the festival. Back in 2018, THE STAR spoke to Thomas, a vendor from St Catherine, who for years has sold fried delicacies at Rebel Salute. When asked about his experience as a business owner operating at the festival, he responded, “No complaints”.

CONSISTENCY

Furthermore, Rebel Salute has been consistent in its adopted theme, ‘The Preservation of Reggae’. Over the years, icons such as Jimmy Cliff, Tanya Stephens, Tarrus Riley, Stephen Marley, Damian Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Richie Spice, Capleton and Tony Rebel himself have performed. Young musicians such as Chronixx, Koffee and Jahshii have also hit the stage. However, the festival, although noted for its “conscious musicians” line-up, has had hardcore acts at different stagings – albeit not under their stage name. For example, in 2011 and 2016, Mavado performed under his given name, David Brooks, while in 2020, Chronic Law performed under his name, Akeem Campbell. Most recently in 2023, both Bounty Killer and Beenie Man performed under their names, Rodney Price and Moses Davis, respectively.

Still, the performance that stands out to the festival’s organisers was Garnett Silk’s set in 1994. Ironically, his performance at the first staging was the end of his musical hiatus. In 1993, Garnett did not have a good year. First, there were rumours around his health, then he was kidnapped while on tour in England, slapped with an injunction in New York, and missed the summer festival circuit. So, when he graced the Rebel Salute stage that Saturday, it was to a hero’s welcome. As Tony Rebel told The Gleaner in 2023:

“Garnet Silk’s first performance at Rebel Salute 1994 was a special one. He was on a hiatus from music at the time and returned to perform on my birthday. Rain fell the whole night during the event and, I remember, no one moved.”

In the wake of his passing in December 1994, the 1996 staging of the festival saw the organisers raise $500,000 that was donated to Garnett Silk’s children. The festival’s philanthropy is still alive. Over the years, the Rebel Salute Foundation, through its flagship programme ‘Teach the Children Scholarship’, has supported individuals from the Marcus Garvey Technical High School.

Now being organised by Tony Rebel’s entertainment promotions company, Organic H.E.A.R.T Limited, this year will see the festival celebrate its 30th anniversary, thus marking a milestone as one of the most consistent events in the region. Throughout its run, only its 2022 staging was not held, and that, like everything else, was because of the pandemic. In 2021, organisers put on a virtual-only show, also owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, these breaks has not dwindled its impact, for not only has it been praised by local and regional tastemakers, but it has also been notably mentioned by international outlets like Vogue and Billboard Magazine.

On this far-reaching legacy, Tony Rebel tells Caribbean Life News, “At the beginning of Rebel Salute 1994, it was just a commemoration of my earth day. I was not thinking about being here ... years later”.

So, as Tony Rebel basks in his 62nd birthday, his birthday party will continue in its mission to preserve reggae.

J.T. Davy is a member of the historical and political content collective, Tenement Yaad Media, where she co-produces their popular historical podcast, Lest We Forget. She is also a writer at the regional collective, Our Caribbean Figures. Send feedback to jordpilot@hotmail.com and entertainment@gleanerjm.com.