Bob Marley & The Wailers ADD

Reggae Month in Jamaica - February 2019

01/30/2019 by Gardy Stein

February is here, and thus time to immerse ourselves into the sweet sights and sounds of the annual Reggae Month once more. This year, it is promising to be a special celebration - not only is it staged with a "Cultural Heritage of Humanity" medal pinned to its chest, it has also acquired a wider panel of supporters than ever before. Another change worth noting is that, for the first time, the event is managed not solely by the Jamaica Reggae Industry Assoiation (JaRIA), as in all preceding years, but by a steering committee out of the ministries of tourism and culture, gender affairs, entertainment, and sports, as the Jamaican Observer reports (Jamaica Observer, January 24th 2019).

The official homepage reggaemonthjamaica.com introduces the upcoming February thus: "Reggae Month was officially proclaimed and first staged in 2008, spearheaded by the Ministry of Culture and powered by the Jamaican Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA).

The focus of Reggae Month is “edutainment”, highlighting Jamaica’s musical history and heritage. The annual celebration has been a huge success, attracting on average 40,000 attendees each year. This success is made possible by the overwhelming support of media partners and music industry practitioners, in addition to dedicated government and corporate sponsors who share the Reggae Month vision.

The goal of Reggae Month is to attract international acclaim for Jamaica as the reggae mecca of the world, enhance travel and tourism for the month of February, and provide an educational platform of entertainment for all ages."

Check the official event calender here and don't miss Bob Marley's Birthday Celebration on the 6th or the Dennis Brown Tribute Concert at Kingston's Waterfront on the 24th: