Kingston, 12 January 2021 (JIS) - Reggae Month 2021 activities, to be observed in February, have been moved to the virtual space.

The month-long celebration, being held under the theme ‘Come Ketch Di Riddim Virtually’, is expected to draws thousands of patrons globally to Jamaica, from locations as far as Europe and Asia.

Speaking during a virtual launch on Sunday (January 10), Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, said that the virtual celebration will enable people to “get together and feel alright, even from a distance”, as Jamaica “builds back stronger to a brighter and dynamic future”.

“After all, we are a people of a glorious ancestry, a people who have used the experiences of our past to create reggae music, whose rhythms the world recognises and loves,” she added.

Miss Grange said the Month presents an opportunity to further increase the capacity of Jamaica’s technical creatives through virtual workshops in areas such as sound engineering, writing and stage management.

She said that training opportunities and master classes in publishing and copyright for songwriters, musicians and artistes will be a feature of this year’s Reggae Month celebrations.

“We will promote strategic interactions among the world creatives through our online university. In this way, we will expand the dialogue on the needs of the creative sector as we continue to position Reggae among the world’s most vibrant brands,” Minister Grange said.

February was officially declared as Reggae Month on January 9, 2008. This annual observance highlights and celebrates the impact of the musical genre on Jamaica’s social, cultural and economic development.

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