Global Reggae party traces roots ‘From Jamrock to Hip-Hop’
For the 26th year, International
Reggae Day will hail the
Jamaica beat and its messaging
which has enlightened a global
audience about issues focusing
on human and civil rights,
racism/apartheid, politics, love,
war, health, Rastafari, Africa,
marijuana and a myriad of
poignant topics.
Borne with a mandate to
‘unite, uplift, inspire’ the initial
event was inspired by an
address to women given by
South African freedom fighter
Winnie Mandela when she visited
the Caribbean island with
her husband who had just been
released after serving a 27-year
prison sentence for trying to
unite, uplift and inspire his
country.
Motivated by the message
from the African ambassador,
Rastafarian Andrea Davis said
14 years after the passing of
reggae legend Robert Nesta
Marley in 1981 she felt compelled
to launch a commemorative
annual to celebrate the
music the Jamaican legend
popularized.
Since the inaugural celebration
which featured an allinclusive
concert in Kingston,
media integration, and tributes
to founders and ambassadors,
the July 1 event has expanded
with a poster contest, yoga
sessions, tree plantings, tours,
fashion shows, panel discussions,
Indika The same amazing doctors,
Caribbean L 12 ife, June 26-July 2, 2020
online media festival,
and tributes to pioneers and
distinguished achievers of the
genre. Each year adding to its
already full agenda, IRD has
not only expanded but evolved
to become a global “One Love”
rally.
This year’s honorees read
like a roll call of radio’s friendliest,
club favored, crossover
hybrid of dancehall/hip-hop
achievers.
2020 recipients include:
Christopher “The Notorious
BIG” Wallace, Dwight “Heavy D”
Myers, Trevor “Busta Rhymes”
Smith Jr., Carl “Shinehead”
Aiken, William “Supercat”
Maragh, Wyclef “The Fugees”
Jean, Damian “Junior Gong”
Marley, Anthony “Beenie Man”
Moses, Rodney “Bounty Killa”
Price, and Sandra “Pepa” Denton,
— one of two rappers from
the trio with DJ Spinderella to
form Salt- N-Pepa.
That they all charted to Billboard
Magazine’s measure of
acceptability, each also represent
the 2020 vision Davis and
her organizers decided to be
the theme – “From Jamrock To
Hip-Hop.”
Jamaicans have always
claimed its role in the emergence
of America’s rap expression.
And while griots and some
pioneers attribute the melodic
poetic rhymes to early ‘toasters’
from the island, organizers
of the annual contend that the
roots of the entire hip-hop culture
sprouted from the island
nicknamed Jamrock.
Compounded with attribution
to Kool Herc, an immigrant
to the Bronx who back
in the 70s entreated New York
partyers to sound system stylings
common to dancehall
revelers throughout Kingston,
rappers have often yielded to
International Reggae Day poster.
the claim.
Back in the day, allegedly,
Herc “mixed’ recordings of
some of the trailblazing ‘toasters’
on the island who spontaneously
talked over musical
notes to create hits documenting
the occasion.
Instead of replaying radio
hits, sound system operators
would present a kind of open
mic session where creative talents
would compete to talk a
topic to music.
On most occasions rhymes
ruled sessions.
Braggodoccio dictated the
winner.
Akin to African griots
whose storytelling technique
informed villagers, toasters and
their rhythms established dons,
kings, champions and rulers of
the dancehalls.
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