International Reggae Day

This Is My Reggae

International Reggae Day (IRD) celebrated its 21 anniversary this year. All of Jamaica, New York, Miami and Fort Lauderdale in the United States; Honolulu in Hawaii; London in England; and Mumbai in India were the cities chosen to carry out the celebration of July 1. The event, which begin on June 30 and ended on July 4, included cultural festivals that offered the reggae lifestyle, dancing, souvenir shops, art exhibits and films.

Established since 1994, Int’l Reggae Day (IRD), is an annual 24-hour festival that celebrates reggae, the Jamaican creativity and its impact on global culture through the combined power of music, the means of communication and technology. IRD is the first event in the world to be officially recognized as the celebration of reggae. In its beginnings, the IRD I was held in Kingston, reggae’s birthplace, in order to show the world the capital of Jamaica as a creative city and to highlight the impact of Jamaica, Reggae and the Rastafarian culture and ideology of contemporary world music.

The organization International Reggae Day continues its effort to highlight important personalities, institutions and the goals that marked the creative legacy of Jamaica and added value to their brand. This year, Jamaica welcomed the “Movement Sound System of Jamaica” recognizing their fundamental and pioneering role in the development and internationalization of Jamaican music and culture.

In Kingston, the celebration of the International Reggae Day took place through the IRD International Conference and a digital art exhibition at the Hotel Jamaica Pegasus, which designed the walls of the hotel featuring the work of the prestigious International Competition of Reggae Posters (International Reggae Poster Contest – IRPC) and the latest creations of visual artists Michael Thompson, Taj Francis and Joavan Puran.

The IRD Kingston International Conference took place in two sessions. The first was the Competitive Advantages of Jamaica Worldwide, and the second was named the Musical System of Jamaica and the Creative Economy. Last year’s conference was focused on copyright, creative industries, IP brands, design and social medium, very current and incandescent themes in show business these days.

Other activities in Kingston included the annual conference on the countdown dance, ‘Countdown Dance’ at the Community Center Rose Town; a party at the Countryside Club, Yoga in Independence Square (the legendary ‘Emancipation Park’), as well as film projections.

Sponsors for the event included: The Tourism Office of Jamaica (JTB), Bridget Sandals, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel Countryside Club, JAMPRO and Tuff Gong International.

Ways International Reggae Day was celebrated

1. Wear Reggae – Sport Colors – RED GOLD and GREEN
2. Play Reggae – Tune In | Log on ireggaeday.com
3. Buy Reggae – Buy Music | Tickets | Merchandise
4. Eat Reggae – Discounted music themed menu specials at participating restaurants
5. Invest Reggae – Donate to Alpha Boys School Project
6. Plant Reggae – Post your tree planting on our social platforms
7. See Reggae – Pree IRPC IRD Exhibit | Kingston music Murals
8. Support Reggae – tweet | Post | Like #THISISMYREGGAE
9. Love Reggae – ‘This is My Reggae’ posts | Video messages
10. Be Reggae – Custom handle | Avatar | Profile Pic

Join IRIE Magazine in supporting IRD for future celebrations of the global reggae culture. You can support IRD by purchasing official merchandise at their online store at http://www.cafepress.com/ireggaedayestore.