Reggae music has a new UN bodyguard

BY MICHAEL THOMAS

Finally, reggae has been added to a list of international cultural treasures that the United Nations has pronounced worthy of protecting and promoting.

According to reports from BBC News, Jamaica applied for reggae’s inclusion on the list in 2018 at a meeting of the UN agency on the island of Mauritius. The protected list began in 2008 and grew out of the UN’s convention for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in 2003. Its aims is to ensure respect for communities, groups, and individuals involved in the listed activity, to raise awareness and encourage appreciation of those activities nationally and internationally.

“Reggae is uniquely Jamaican,” said Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s culture minister. “It is a music that we have created that has penetrated all corners of the world.”

Announcing the decision, Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) said the music’s “contribution to international discourse on issues of injustice, resistance, love, and humanity underscored the dynamics of the element as being at once cerebral, socio-political, sensual and spiritual. The basic social functions of the music – as a vehicle for social commentary, a cathartic practice, and a means of praising God – have not changed, and the music continues to act as a voice for all.”

Toronto Caribbean Newspaper spoke with two of Toronto’s top music producers as well as a respected reggae singer to find out how they felt about this decision.

Musical maestro, producer, and owner of the legendary Thunder Dome Studio Mr. Eddie Bullen told Toronto Caribbean Newspaper “For me, I think it is a very commendable and notable thing that has happened because I always think that reggae is the radical song of the world.” Bullen spoke of Bob Marley calling him one of the biggest ambassadors of Reggae  and a man who has raised people’s consciousness around the world through Reggae music, Bullen said, “I was in China recently and Marley is bigger over there than most American artists. In Brazil reggae is almost like a religion, because it is one of the things that they use to rehabilitate former gangsters there.” Bullen said that even though he has traveled to many places he did not recognize the gravity that reggae commands globally and believes overall the decision is a good one.

Rocky Persaud owner and musical producer of the Brampton based Rock Entertainment Studio said,” I feel good about this decision. I think it is about time and long overdue, for me it is exciting news and I believe its good for the art form, the artist as well as Jamaica.”

Persaud like Bullen thinks that this is a positive move simply because reggae is a music where the main message is to champion the cause of the disenfranchised everywhere, however, he hopes this will send a message to those whose intentions are not honorable towards reggae, that they will take notice now that they might have the UN to contend with legally.

Singer, songwriter and college professor, Miss Jay Harmony said, “I believe this move could help to promote reggae more on an international basis. What I would like to see is that this organization help with funding for the development and promotion of reggae music so that it will be more widely recognize and accepted.”

Some other cultural traditions which made the UN’s protected list included a Spanish riding school in Vienna, a Mongolian camel-coaxing ritual and Egyptian puppetry.

After hearing what was said by musicians, professors, producers and singers, one can only wonder what the foundation members of reggae would have to say about this very delicate and important subject, people like: John Holt, Peter Tosh and of course The Right Honourable Robert Nester Marley himself.