Where’s the Reggae, Jamaica?
Despite being the birthplace of reggae music, Jamaica’s streets today tell a different story. Walk through Kingston on whichever night and you’ll hear it, not the deep pulse of roots reggae, but the sharp, faster, more raw sounds of dancehall and trap. That’s the sound running the island right now. But please, Jamaica, don’t let Reggae become a Souvenir.
Reggae, the music that once carried Jamaica’s message to the world, more and more seems to fade from its own corners. Tourists arrive hoping to catch a live roots show or feel that familiar skank in the air, but often they find hotel bands looping Bob Marley hits. The new voices, the ones pushing reggae forward, are barely heard.
It’s not that the artists are gone! They’re active, recording, touring, and representing Jamaica across the globe. But at home, the stages are scarce, the sound systems don’t spin their songs, and radio stations chase whatever’s trending online (not all). Sometimes, even when you drive across the island, it’s hard to find a roots reggae track on the radio. The heart of reggae is still beating, just not loud enough in the streets that gave it life. Try asking a random yute for the Congo’s, Joseph Hill, or Abyssinians…
One whole Month of Reggae
Every February, Kingston ‘lights up’ for Reggae Month. Events suddenly pop up, the city celebrates its legends, and the government turns the spotlight on what may be Jamaica’s biggest cultural export. But the rest of the year, silence.
For a country whose global identity was built on reggae, dedicating just one month to it feels strange to many. You don’t celebrate reggae in bursts, it’s part of Jamaica’s DNA. There should be more continuity, more shows, more reasoning sessions, and a consistent focus that keeps the energy alive all year.
The Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) has long tried to keep that flame burning. Their mission to champion the vibrant spirit of Jamaica’s music and entertainment product deserves respect, but they face real challenges, from a lack of support from Corporate Jamaica to the media’s obsession with hype over quality. These struggles even led to the cancellation of their 2025 Annual Honour Awards, one of the few events that consistently recognized the depth of Jamaica’s creative talent.
Even the Island Music Conference, a space designed to reason about the state and future of Jamaican music, seemingly overlooks the urgency of this broader discussion. There’s a need for more honest conversations about how to keep reggae alive, not only as heritage, but as a living, breathing force in the culture.
Of course, there are still pockets of roots energy around the island, from open mic sessions to community stages, reggae shows on the beaches in Negril like Roots Bamboo, and gatherings at Treasure Beach or in Kingston at the Compound, Dub Club, Jangas, or Skyline Levels. Festivals like Wickie Wackie Fest and Rebel Salute continue to hold space for real reggae culture, while the new Kamp Fyah Festival in Westmoreland, set for March 2026, promises to bring back that authentic live vibe. The spirit never left; it just needs space to breathe.
Tourism Rises, Culture Fades
While reggae culture seems to fade from the streets, Jamaica’s tourism industry is booming. Projects like The Pinnacle in Montego Bay, four(!) luxury towers set to be the tallest in the Caribbean, show how fast the island is modernizing to attract high-end travelers. But what will they experience when they arrive? Probably not the kind of Pinnacle that once stood in Sligoville, St. Catherine, considered the birthplace of the Rastafari movement, founded by Leonard Howell in the 1940s.
The government’s current efforts, like Reggae Month, are simply not enough to charge Brand Jamaica as both a tourist paradise and a music lover’s nirvana. The era of branding Jamaica solely as a winter-getaway destination is over.
Despite expecting over four million tourists annually, with forecasts of more than five million by 2026, the question remains: how many of them come to visit the island for reggae and Rastafari culture?
Even the Jamaica Tourist Board still shies away from using reggae as one of the island’s main cultural pillars in its campaigns. Yet reggae and Rastafari are what made Jamaica resonate with the world. In my humble opinion, without them, the country risks selling a beautiful destination, but losing its soul.
On a Reggae Strip
Kingston once buzzed with live corners, sound systems, and school FETEs. The Lawns and Yards were full of music, dance, and spirit. Those nights created memories and artists. Now, the idea of creating a real ‘reggae strip’ could help bring that pulse back.
Revitalizing Jimmy Cliff Boulevard in Montego Bay or building a similar hub in Kingston (maybe even near the Downtown Art Walk Area) would give locals and tourists a reason to step out again. Venues, small stages, record shops, more murals, and food stalls could all help rebuild a living reggae ecosystem. Bring back that Skateland kind of vibe.
JamWorld Returns
Entertainment and Culture Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange recently announced that the government has acquired the JamWorld Entertainment Centre in Portmore, St Catherine, the spiritual home of Sting, with plans to make it Jamaica’s first 24-hour entertainment complex.
That’s a big move, and if done right, JamWorld, although a bit off the cultural center, could once again become the beating heart of reggae. Roots festivals, youth showcases, dub sessions, and sound clashes could all find a home there, reconnecting the island with the music that built it.
The Shift in Sound
The sound of Jamaica is changing. Many younger artists are fusing reggae with trap, hip-hop, and Afrobeats, creating hybrid sounds that fit global playlists. But beneath that surface, the real roots movement is still alive, just not getting enough light.
Conscious artists like David Sluhr, Birdz I, Matthew Malcolm, Italee, Kenny Smyth, Rik Jam, JahBradez, Micah Shemaiah, T’Jean, Hempress Sativa, Tennshann Invasion, Marlon Brown, Kuzikk, Live Wyya, and Rockaz Elements, to name just a few, are keeping the foundation strong, recording new roots music with message and purpose. Yet, their songs rarely make it to local airwaves.
Alongside them, seasoned voices like Lutan Fyah, Sizzla, Jah Mason, Fantan Mojah, Anthony B, Junior Kelly, Luciano, and Natty King, etc. continue to release conscious, roots-driven music year after year, showing consistency where the industry often looks the other way.
Jamaican radio needs to catch up. More roots, less hype. The country that created reggae should never have to tune into foreign stations to hear it.
Bringing Roots Reggae Back
If Jamaica wants to remain the heart of reggae, it has to nurture it from within. That means more promotion and communication around Local Roots Nights across Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Negril, events that can link young artists with the elders who paved the way.
There are already solid examples to build on. The Jamaica’s Best School Band Competition keeps live performance alive among the youth. The Alpha Boys School continues to produce talented musicians, and the Edna Manley College remains a cornerstone of artistic development. These institutions show that the roots are still there; they just need stronger platforms and visibility.
And beyond all that, there’s an important reminder. In 2018, reggae music was added to UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. But that recognition comes with responsibility. A heritage can be removed if it no longer meets the criteria that led to its inclusion, if it’s poorly managed, neglected, or loses its cultural function. If Jamaica truly wants to keep reggae as its global cultural heritage, it has to step up its game.
It’s also on the communities, the artists, the selectors, and the schools to keep pushing roots reggae forward. Many artists already campaign for reggae in Jamaica through their performances on global stages. Reggae started from the people, and that’s where it will rise again!
The blueprint is already here; it only takes will, unity, and sound to bring it back to life. I guess I just sketched the playbook. Not having reggae on the streets of Jamaica is like the Dutch not having bikes (or cheese) anymore, the Germans losing their Slager, the French without their chansons or baguettes under their arm, Portugal losing its Fado, or Spain without its Flamenco.
This isn’t a complaint, and it’s not another “reggae is dead” headline, and it is not a rant against the evolution of Jamaica’s music.. It’s a reggae lover’s/ tourist call from the heart for Jamaica to protect what the world already knows is priceless. So, before the keyboard warriors start typing, understand: this comes from care, not criticism. Meanwhile, I will keep listening to my Mighty Diamonds, Wailing Souls, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Culture, and I might even dash een some Bob.
Yuh ketch my drift.
One Love, Danny Creatah
