Jamaica hosts the Reggae Sumfest every year in mid-July. Reggae is a musical direction, the home of which is considered to be this island in the Caribbean. However, this is not only music, it is a lifestyle and perception of the world.
Since the time of the famous Woodstock rock festival in 1969, where several musicians performed compositions in this style, reggae literally conquered America and Europe, organically fitting into the hippie movement. The man who made this musical trend especially popular was Bob Marley, a native of Nine Miles, a small town in Jamaica.
The first festival was organized in 1978, three years before Marley's death. Reggae lovers gathered in the resort town of Montego Bay on the shores of the Caribbean Sea. The festival immediately became famous among those who are partial to Jamaican folk tunes. Their mesmerizing rhythm still attracts many people who want to immerse themselves in this hot mixture of music, relaxation and ocean breeze.
From the very beginning, the Reggae Sumfest has been causing quite a stir. Therefore. if you are going to visit it, flights to Kingston need to be booked in advance, as well as places in hotels, where prices soar during the reggae holiday.
This year's Jamaica Reggae Festival will take place from July 20th to 26th. For the first time, they plan to move it to the vicinity of Montego Bay, to a protected place located on the shore of a small lagoon. It is assumed that the participants of the festival will be taken to the venue on the evening of July 19 by canoe, by torchlight.
Traditionally, the festival begins with a beach party followed by several days of live performances by musicians from different genres. Here you can listen not only to reggae. The concert venues gather lovers of jazz, root, rock, dance music and rap. Often on stage you can see the joint performance of artists working in different genres, for example, reggae and rap. This mix of styles is a real treat for those who love hot music.
This year, stars have already announced their participation in live concerts: Johnny Clarke, The Wailing Souls, Marcia Griffiths, Gregory Isaacs and Alton Ellis. As a rule, the new king of reggae, the son of Bob Marley, Damian, also takes part in the festival. At past festivals, viewers could see and listen to performances by the queen of rhythm and blues Mary Jane Blige, L. L. Cool Jay, Rihanna, Zigi Marley, 50-Cent, Ne-Yo, Beenie Man, Missy Elliot, Sean Paul, Shaggy, Third World, Maxi Priest and Gregory Isaacs.
The cost of tickets for the festival, depending on the chosen program and the number of days, ranges from 30 to 195 US dollars.
The festival has been sponsored by the Jamaica Tourism Board for many years. Thanks to his participation, it becomes possible to unite people at a reggae festival, the rhythms of which beat like the heartbeat of Jamaica itself.
