This year’s staging of International Reggae Day (IRD) the Jamaican 24-hour global media festival, will honour Reggae’s contribution to Jamaican culture and the genre’s indelible role in resistance movements globally, particularly Apartheid in South Africa.
The day of observance which will be staged under the theme “Celebrating 30 years of Riddims & Resistance”, will also mark the event’s 30th anniversary. According to event conceptualizer Andrea Davis, this year is especially significant, as it not only celebrates the event’s 30th anniversary but also marks the triennial of Nelson Mandela’s 1994 election as President of South Africa, following the dismantling of Apartheid, a brutally racist system of government in then white-ruled South Africa, which was characterized by systemic segregation and discrimination on grounds of race.
“IRD2024 will highlight the importance of Reggae to the fight against Apartheid in South Africa and the unbreakable bond between Jamaica and South Africa which is mirrored by the unbreakable bond between International Reggae Day and its original inspiration, South Africa’s Mama Winnie Mandela,” Davis noted in a release. The release also notes that IRD2024 is expected to feature what is described as “a dynamic hybrid experience, connecting local and global audiences through physical and virtual events and activities and that event partners from South Africa, US, UK, Colombia, along with media partners from Argentina to Zimbabwe, will also be joining their Jamaican counterparts in the celebration of the power and impact of the island’s music culture.
Other IRD2024 elements include a JulyOne global simulcast pullup in honour of Bob Marley’s One Love anthem, Dennis Brown’s Here I Come and Morgan Heritage’s Reggae Bring Back Love, in tribute to the late Peetah Morgan. There will also be physical events including parties and a drone show, plus two featured virtual events to be hosted on the event’s website ireggaeday.com on JulyOne 1: a panel exploring Reggae’s impact on resistance movements around the world, including the fight against Apartheid in South Africa and a webinar on Artificial Intelligence and the Cultural and Creative Industries.
IRD has the distinction of being the first ever annual calendar event to be officially proclaimed and dedicated to Reggae Music. It was launched July 1, 1994, and proclaimed by then Governor General, Sir Howard Cooke in 2000.
The day of celebration was inspired by the late Winnie Mandela’s address to Jamaican women during her official visit to Jamaica with her husband Nelson, following his release from prison. In addition to being a music Media and Music Festival, IRD also serves as a marketing platform to highlight Jamaica’s creative industries and to mobilize the global Reggae community.
