UWI examines reggae vanguards for International Reggae Day - Performance, Internet, traditional media events for July 1

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

While International Reggae Day 2011 is officially celebrated on Friday, July 1, the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, gets into the groove early with a symposium tomorrow evening.

A release from the organisers said that the symposium, 'Saluting Reggae Vanguards', "will seek to shine a spotlight on the musical legacies of the undisputed reggae vanguards - Burning Spear, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Sugar Minott and Bob Marley".

The slated presenters at the Neville Hall Lecture Theatre are Dr Michael Barnett, Professor Carolyn Cooper, Ibo Cooper, Mutabaruka and Evah Gordon.

Three of those vanguards - Brown, Isaacs and Spear - are this year's International Reggae Day awardees. Andrea Davis of Jamaica Arts Holdings, who started International Reggae Day in 1994, said "We highlight and honour their contribution by inviting media around the world to feature them as part of special programming."

Awardees' work is assessed on what Davis terms the principles of reggae, and has to be uplifting, unifying and far-reaching.

She explained that in addition to the talks at the symposium, there will be acoustic performances by Jah9, Jessie Royal, Ken Boothe, Uprising Roots band, Kiddus I and Shereita Lewis, among others. In addition, Mutabaruka will do double duties, as he will also be playing music for the evening. "He will be doing a special mix of the vanguards," Davis said.

The United States-based CPRLive will also host a symposium on Wednesday night, looking at the importance of reggae to urban American youth.

The UWI symposium ends a few hours before TVJ starts its special programming at midnight to open International Reggae Day 2011 in Jamaica.

Davis said that the station's programming for the day will include a trailer for the film Ghetta Life and clips from a special filmed for the day, featuring Luciano, TOK, Jah 9, Jesse Royal and Chantelle Ernandez, among others.

There are a number of events affiliated with International Reggae Day across the Corporate Area on July 1. Among them are the launch of the Conscious Reggae Party Series at 56 Hope Road and Plug N Play, with Wayne Marshall, Chino, Vybrant and others.

Outside Jamaica, in addition to media input worldwide, Davis said there will also be a tree-planting ceremony in Soweto, South Africa, where reggae will be celebrated from July 1-3. Reggae by Africans, as well as the three International Reggae Day honourees, will be featured heavily.

Compilation

In addition, Davis said free downloads will be available on the day from the website www.ireggaeday.com, Raging Fyah, Tarrus Riley, TOK, Leiba and Shereita Lewis among those supplying music. Available for listening, but not download, will be 250 songs by Jamaicans covering 1956 to 2006.

"We start with Harry Belafonte and Lord Flea," Davis said. She emphasised that the compilation by the International Reggae Day team is not a ranking of the songs and the list will also come with footnotes.

It is the first of a number of research projects and Davis said "We are focusing on content. That is where International Reggae Day should be at this point."

However, the honouring of standout performers will not be suspended. Davis said that a number of pioneers have been honoured on International Reggae Day previously, among them Clement 'Sir Coxson' Dodd and Toots Hibbert.

"Next year, we will be honouring legends of ska and rocksteady. There are many names in the book of reggae music that we believe deserve recognition," Davis said, adding that media will be used so that more persons are aware - or are reminded - of the performers' work.