Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

Cocoa Tea lauds the idea of International Reggae Day. - File photos

International Reggae Day (IRD) was celebrated yesterday to recognise the importance of reggae, but it was also a special day for pioneers of the music.

For recording artiste Cocoa Tea, IRD is of great significance as it exposes our culture to the rest of the world.

"International Reggae Day help to bring forward the Jamaican culture so that we can integrate our culture into the rest of the world. Reggae bring forward a special and significant message," said Cocoa Tea who will release his album Yes We Can later this month.

He added, "The music of reggae highlight living conditions of people that suffer around the world. It is a means of getting us together."

In addition, he said, IRD brings to the fore the accomplishments of Jamaican musicians and how they can uplift the society when they do positive music.

The IRD Festival is an annual global media event hosted by Jamaica. The event started in 1994 with the aim of recognising and celebrating the significant power and positive impact of reggae music and Jamaican culture throughout the world.

Best of Jamaica

This global media celebration, honouring the roots of the music, highlighted the best of Jamaica's creative industries, including music, fashion, dance, cuisine and visual arts.

This year, IRD was held in association with the Toots Foundation. There was also an IRD Copyright Forum sponsored by the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office at the Terra Nova Hotel in St Andrew.

Recognise legends

Dean Fraser says It was a day to recognise legends.

The day is of significance for musicians like Dean Fraser who has also played a major role in the reggae industry as a saxophonist and producer. He said, "Although our music has come of age, there are a lot of things that we have been able to bring to the fore."

He explained that since intellectual property was part of the day's celebrations, younger persons in the reggae industry would get an opportunity to learn more about their rights as musicians. He said it was also a day to recognise the legends who have made the music into the powerful force that it is.

Queen Ifrica says she also values the day as it is something that was created in Jamaica.

"It is very important to me because it is something authentic and out of Jamaica. The state endorse it as a national day but them need fi create more buzz around it," she told The Gleaner.

She added, "It's a nice vibe. Give thanks to Bob (Marley) and dem early artistes deh weh pave di way fi mek it reach weh it deh."