The 2024 episode of Reggae Month South Florida celebrated a half century of reggae music from Miami to Fort Lauderdale with the iconic group, Inner Circle, supporting a number of events aiming to spotlight Jamaican artists, business and entrepreneurs in Fort Lauderdale, Miramar, Plantation and Miami Dade County. A chief objective of the month-long list of festivities Reggae Month South Florida festivities is to bring awareness to the local community about the expansive nature of reggae music, its culture and global influence.
Presented by Inner Circle: Reggae South Florida 2024 – Dennis Brown Tribute (Blue Martini, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida)
How Did Reggae Month Come About?
Back in 2008, the Jamaican government officially designated February as Reggae Month, which would be marked by annual celebrations. Not only that, but the birthdates of three late reggae legends fall in February: Dennis Brown (February 1); Bob Marley (February 6); and Bunny Rugs (February 6). And although Reggae Month originated in its birthplace of Jamaica, South Florida is certainly regarded as a second home to the annual gatherings and celebrations to commemorate one of Jamaica’s greatest exports.
‘Black History Meets Reggae’
Of course, Reggae Month in Jamaica coincides with Black History Month in the United States so there is definitely numerous synergies to be highlighted, and just to name a few: African-American and Jamaican reggae artists have had a long musical association that can be traced to the early 1960s. And musicians, such as Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack and Gwen Guthrie, are just some notable examples of American artists collaborating with reggae acts.
What’s more, hip hop in the United States was born as, in essence, Jamaican-born DJ Kool Herc had introduced his American friends to rap at that block party dubbed the ‘Back to School Jam’ on August 11, 1973. Apart from DJ Kool Herc, who has since become widely recognized as the ‘Godfather of hip hop’ by way of his presentation of the genre’s rap, turntable mixing and sampling elements, it is noteworthy that major contributors to the hip-hop movement back then were fellow Jamaicans, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio USA pays homage to the trio in an exhibit.
Paying Homage To The Remarkable Life and Musical Legacy Of Dennis Brown:
Dennis Emmanuel Brown certainly had a golden voice and was blessed with a magnificent musical gift. Mr. Brown, who was born on February 1, 1957 and passed on July 1, 1999, left an indelible mark on the landscape of reggae music. During his prolific career which began in the late 1960’s at the age of eleven, Dennis Brown not only recorded more that 75 albums over his career, but was also one of the central pillars of the romantic subgenre of reggae music known as ‘lovers rock’. It would be remiss not to point out that, the King of Reggae, Bob Marley, famously cited Dennis Brown as his favorite singer and nicknamed Mr. Brown, the ‘Crown Prince of Reggae’.
In paying homage to the remarkable life and musical legacy of Dennis Brown, several artists took to the stage to give their own live performance renditions of some of the ‘Crown Prince of Reggae’s’ most memorable and timeless classics, including ‘Here I Come’, ‘Revolution’, ‘Have You Ever Been In Love’, ‘A Little Bit More’, and ‘Sitting and Watching’.
With natural talent and enviable vocal ability and a career also spanning over 40 years, Mr. McGregor came out swinging as they say in dropping hit after hit, including ‘Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely’, ‘To be Poor is a Crime’, ‘Big Ship’, and ‘I was Born a Winner’.
was the legendary Mykal Rose who has been on the ska and reggae music scene for over 25 years. Perhaps his highest profile recognition emerged back in 1984, when he and fellow Black Uhuru band members (Duckie Simpson, Puma Jones, Sly Dunbar, and Robbie Shakespeare) garnered reggae’s inaugural Grammy award for their album, titled: Anthem. Since then, Mykal ‘Grammy’ Rose, as he his often referred to, has had a stellar career as a solo artist. On the Reggae Jam stage, Mykal definitely impressed the audience with his distinct singing style and vocal range. And he certainly got some big forwards when he unleashed ‘Police and Thief Inna Shootout’ and ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’.
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