Reggae Sumfest is the largest music festival in Jamaica and is a definite must see if you are a fan of reggae. If you are new to Jamaican music, the festival is a wonderful spectacle of pageantry and reggae tradition.
When the annual Reggae Sunsplash was canceled, shareholders of Summerfest Productions came together to create a new annual reggae festival - Reggae Sumfest. The first show was in August 1993 and was met with widespread support. In its second year, the lineup had grown from just a few acts to more than 15 stagings. Also in the second year, the Red Stripe brewery began sponsoring the festival. This would be the beginning of a long, beneficial relationship. Known for featuring the best of reggae, Sumfest has helped foster the careers of artists such as Shaggy, Sean Paul, Inner Circle and Ziggy Marley.
When Summerfest Productions began the process of planning Sumfest, they did so with a motto: "Promoting music, the universal force". There is more truth in that motto than most people are aware. The history of Jamaica is filled with stories of violence, slavery and colonial rule. Through it all, the African strength of character has survived, in part through the rhythms of music. By staying true to their heritage, Jamaicans have risen up and found their own identity in the world. Now, reggae tells the stories of the Jamaicans through the universal language of music. With that same spirit, organizers of Sumfest have welcomed international attention, especially in the form of world class acts. Some artists involved have been known to be Mary J. Blige, Lionel Richie, The Temptations, Ashanti, Snoop Dog and Akon. The festival has even been the starting point for many superstar entertainers, such as Rihanna, Kanye West and Alicia Keys.
The star power names, as those above, will always garner huge media response and as such, Reggae Sumfest has become a huge media event. MTV, MUCH Music, VIBE and Billboard Magazines are just a few of the North American media enterprises. Channel O of South Africa has picked up on Sumfest, as well. As a result of the increased media attention, Red Strip struck an official partnership with Sumfest, making it the title sponsor. In 2001, the festival became known as Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest. Since then, they have dropped the title sponsorship and become a secondary sponsor.
According to the official website for Sumfest (reggaesumfest.com), 66% of the visitors to Sumfest are from the US and 11% are from Europe (outside of the UK). The most populated age group of attendees is the 25-34 years range. Those statistic give a very interesting view of the crowd at Sumfest. They are not students on summer break from college and they are not old reggae hipsters from the sexual revolution phase of the 1970's. The largest group of festival attendees is the young professional from first world countries and is likely to be (at least minimally) educated; perhaps their interest in the reggae culture stems from a study of history or a love of international folk music - or it could just be a coincidence. Summerfest Productions has obviously seen the opportunity in promoting Sumfest overseas because in 2003, the festival went on tour. They visited Antigua, Guyana and Trinidad during the month of April. In May, the tour landed in Miami and was met with much celebration. Artists, such as Wyclef Jean and Sean Paul, performed side by side for the first time ever on American soil.
In these dreary days of winter, does it not seem like a great idea to plan a sunny summer vacation? Mexico is nice, so is Barbados. But Jamaica in August would not only be warm and inviting, you would also get to experience the biggest reggae music festival in the world. An event of that magnitude would be a lifelong memory. Check it out- the annual Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay is a must see.
When the annual Reggae Sunsplash was canceled, shareholders of Summerfest Productions came together to create a new annual reggae festival - Reggae Sumfest. The first show was in August 1993 and was met with widespread support. In its second year, the lineup had grown from just a few acts to more than 15 stagings. Also in the second year, the Red Stripe brewery began sponsoring the festival. This would be the beginning of a long, beneficial relationship. Known for featuring the best of reggae, Sumfest has helped foster the careers of artists such as Shaggy, Sean Paul, Inner Circle and Ziggy Marley.
When Summerfest Productions began the process of planning Sumfest, they did so with a motto: "Promoting music, the universal force". There is more truth in that motto than most people are aware. The history of Jamaica is filled with stories of violence, slavery and colonial rule. Through it all, the African strength of character has survived, in part through the rhythms of music. By staying true to their heritage, Jamaicans have risen up and found their own identity in the world. Now, reggae tells the stories of the Jamaicans through the universal language of music. With that same spirit, organizers of Sumfest have welcomed international attention, especially in the form of world class acts. Some artists involved have been known to be Mary J. Blige, Lionel Richie, The Temptations, Ashanti, Snoop Dog and Akon. The festival has even been the starting point for many superstar entertainers, such as Rihanna, Kanye West and Alicia Keys.
The star power names, as those above, will always garner huge media response and as such, Reggae Sumfest has become a huge media event. MTV, MUCH Music, VIBE and Billboard Magazines are just a few of the North American media enterprises. Channel O of South Africa has picked up on Sumfest, as well. As a result of the increased media attention, Red Strip struck an official partnership with Sumfest, making it the title sponsor. In 2001, the festival became known as Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest. Since then, they have dropped the title sponsorship and become a secondary sponsor.
According to the official website for Sumfest (reggaesumfest.com), 66% of the visitors to Sumfest are from the US and 11% are from Europe (outside of the UK). The most populated age group of attendees is the 25-34 years range. Those statistic give a very interesting view of the crowd at Sumfest. They are not students on summer break from college and they are not old reggae hipsters from the sexual revolution phase of the 1970's. The largest group of festival attendees is the young professional from first world countries and is likely to be (at least minimally) educated; perhaps their interest in the reggae culture stems from a study of history or a love of international folk music - or it could just be a coincidence. Summerfest Productions has obviously seen the opportunity in promoting Sumfest overseas because in 2003, the festival went on tour. They visited Antigua, Guyana and Trinidad during the month of April. In May, the tour landed in Miami and was met with much celebration. Artists, such as Wyclef Jean and Sean Paul, performed side by side for the first time ever on American soil.
In these dreary days of winter, does it not seem like a great idea to plan a sunny summer vacation? Mexico is nice, so is Barbados. But Jamaica in August would not only be warm and inviting, you would also get to experience the biggest reggae music festival in the world. An event of that magnitude would be a lifelong memory. Check it out- the annual Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay is a must see.
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