Saturday, 1 July is International Reggae Day

If you know nothing else, you know the name Bob Marley, the 1980’s Reggae musician who brought amazing works to the world.

He had such a distinctive sound that it reached out and touched almost every aspect of the world.

He wasn’t the only Reggae artist by a long shot, instead being the most popular and well-known in a musical style with deep spiritual roots and an august history in Ska and rocksteady music.

International Reggae Day celebrates this Jamaican music style, and brings it to those unfortunates in the world who have yet to experience it.

History of International Reggae Day

International Reggae Day is an annual event held in Kingston, Jamaica and is dedicated to celebrating a style of music that entered into the world in a sleepy little country in the Carribbean and exploded to touch every corner of the world with its style.

Originally born out of Ska and rocksteady style of musics in the 1960s, it quickly gained distinction with its unpolished sound and dependence on rhythm. It took a few years as a grassroots movement before it began expanding.

Reggae became a powerful music with deep roots by the time Bob Marley joined the scene, and its influence has never really stopped spreading. The style of reggae has really spread wide, with tons of different styles popping up, including a type of poetry called Dub Poetry, which is West Indian Poetry being synced up with amazing Reggae beats to create a musical poetry style all its own.

International Reggae Day was traditionally only celebrated in Kingston, with thousands of fans and musicians coming from all over the world to gather there to celebrate the amazing history of reggae history.

How to celebrate International Reggae Day locally

Durban is now hosting International Reggae Day. Durban Reggae band The Meditators host International Reggae Day at Wahooz on the beachfront on Sunday, 2 July from 10am to 4pm. Entry is free.