Reggae Month was officially declared by the Jamaican Government in 2008 to celebrate Reggae’s the impact on the country’s social, cultural, and economic development. Furthermore, two of the genre’s luminaries share birthdays in the month of February: The ‘King of Reggae’, Bob Marley, on February 06, preceded by The ‘Crown Prince of Reggae’ on February 01.
UNESCO designates Reggae as ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has designated reggae music as an ‘intangible cultural heritage of humanity’.
Reggae Month will be broadcast virtually in keeping with the national social distancing protocols caused by the COVID -19 Pandemic. It will air on social media platforms such as PBC Jamaica’s Youtube Channel, the JCDC Jamaica Youtube Channel, 1SpotMedia’s Youtube channel and TVJ’s YouTube channel and on the Facebook page of the Minister of Culture Gender, Entertainment and Sport the Hon. Olivia “Babsy” Grange. She explains the intent behind the event:
“Reggae Month proudly celebrates fourteen years this year, and we are ecstatic that this year’s staging can continue as planned through virtual channels, despite the devastating effects of the COVID 19 pandemic. The launch will be a spectacular snippet of what Reggae music fans across the globe can expect for February, so we encourage all Jamaicans far and wide to tune in. Reggae continues to be embraced and recognized by many international sectors and global leaders as a key economic driver for our nation. As a cultural product, it is essential to Jamaica’s financial growth and success and it has been deemed economically invaluable by our local corporate sector. Brand Reggae is a significant contributor to our GDP and also a significant foreign exchange earner via the Tourism linkages industry,”
