In observance of Reggae Month and African Heritage Month, Coalition to Preserve Reggae Music (CPR) will host the State of Reggae Reception (SORR) on Thursday, February 24 at 7 PM EST. Since its launch in 2009, the reception has focused attention on reggae music developments, declared "an intangible cultural heritage of humanity" by UNESCO in 2018. For 2022, it will explore efforts of the Sounds and Pressure Foundation to raise the profile of downtown Kingston in Jamaica.
'Downtown Kingston is a special place in world culture, as it has established a music industry that has given five genres of popular music to the world: mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, and dancehall. It is to Jamaica what New York and New Orleans are to America, what London is to England, what Paris is to France, and what Rome is to Italy. Our work now is to make it serve the interests of the communities that made it a reality,' said Julian' Jingles Reynolds, chairman and CEO of the foundation.
The reception will emanate from Jazz Hut, a Reggae Music Heritage Site downtown Kingston, the home of Riddim1 Radio and be shared with the public via live stream. Joining the Sounds and Pressure Foundation for the reception will be representatives of Jamaica's Ministry of Culture and Entertainment, the Ministry of Tourism in Jamaica and participants in the reggae music industry in Jamaica.
Together, they will recount the development of reggae and take you on a journey through downtown Kingston to explore reggae's birthplace and a glimpse into the genre's emergence. They will also provide a window into its future by revealing plans and initiatives underway for enhancements in line with the 2015 UNESCO designation of Kingston as a 'creative city of music.'
'We are elated to have this opportunity to share these insights with the world, in keeping with our mission of 'working together to make things work',' said Carlyle McKetty, president and co-founder of CPR. The State of Reggae Reception will be streamed live via www.cprlive.org, www.facebook.com/cprlive1 and Riddim1 Radio, https://www.riddim1radio.com/, starting at 7 PM EST on Thursday, February 24, 2022. Reservations can be made at www.eventbrite.com.