British High Commissioner Calls For More Live Reggae Events

The British High Commissioner is concerned about the lack of live Reggae events in Jamaica.

British High Commissioner to Jamaica, Asif Ahmad has expressed disappointment towards the lack of live Reggae events around the island.

According to Ahmad, there are simply not enough live events, especially in Kingston, which is the birthplace of the genre.

“It’s very rare that you hear live Reggae music. Yes, there are Reggae festivals and for tourists in the big hotels… but the essence of creation of the music, the lyrics, the poetry, the rhythm that goes with that music, all of this has to be revived and cherished again,” he lamented.

“People are talking about Port Royal developing, but why don’t we have music cafés? People are talking about food and other places of entertainment, but why can’t we have squares, food courts with a platform where musicians can perform?” he posited.

In the last few months, similar concerns have also been echoed by dozens of musicians.

According to them, there are simply not enough entertainment spaces within Kingston to facilitate growth in the genre.

They claim that the government is also not doing enough to promote Reggae music or capitalizing on its earning potential.

Back in 2015, Kingston was declared a Creative City of Music by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Despite this, however, musicians say they still find it difficult to access spaces for musical events. This is one of the five essential elements of establishing a Creative Cities of Music.