Reggae Sunsplash was a reggae music festival held annually in Jamaica from 1978 to 1996, with additional events in 1998 and 2006. The festival expanded to include international tours in 1985 and was revived as a virtual event in 2020 by Tryone Wilson, Debbie Bissoon and Randy.
23-631: The Reggae Sunsplash festival was jointly conceived by five Jamaicans—Tony Johnson, Don Green, Ronnie Burke, John Wakeling, and Ed Barclay. These five individuals established Synergy Productions Ltd, a company responsible for the promotion and production of the Reggae Sunsplash festival. The first Reggae Sunsplash festival took place at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay, Jamaica , in June 1978. The event commenced at dusk and continued until dawn over
46-527: A capacity of 4,000 people. In 1976 it hosted the first ever Women's Test match played by the West Indies Women , against Australia Women . It was used by the local football club Seba United . The stadium has also been used by the Jamaica national football team , latest in the 2008 Caribbean Championship . And was also one of the venues of the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championship The property
69-569: A company called Radobar Holdings Ltd offered financial assistance in exchange for equity in Synergy Productions, the founders of Reggae Sunsplash. This initial offer was never consummated and in a disputed claim Radobar Holdings announced the formation of a company called Reggae Sunsplash International in Jamaica and proceeded with the hostile takeover of the Reggae Sunsplash festival. The first attempt at staging Reggae Sunsplash without
92-651: A one-day festival staged at Selhurst Park in London , England . In 1985, the Reggae Sunsplash World Tour was launched in the United States and Japan and subsequent years saw the Reggae Sunsplash festival touring extensively throughout North America, Europe, South America, and the Far East. 1991 saw the introduction of a "Caribbean Night" featuring other Caribbean music such as soca , and
115-453: A remix of the title track), and second album Too Hype followed in 1997. She moved to Sweden, where she signed a record deal with Warner Music Sweden and recorded the 2001 pop album Sintoxicated . After returning to Jamaica she released the critically acclaimed Gangsta Blues album in 2004. Her album Rebelution was released in August 2006, and the first single " These Streets "
138-550: A span of seven days. With the support of Peter Martin, a veteran in Jamaican tourism, and his public relations firm, Peter Martin Associates, the festival garnered international recognition. It was promoted as the "biggest Reggae festival in the history of the world". Reggae Sunsplash introduced the concept of combining music and travel to boost tourism in Jamaica . Prior to the festival, Jamaican hotels typically closed during
161-664: A west Indian accent". She claimed that in 1999 Tanya was flown out to New York by Kim, who claimed to be a huge fan & owned her albums, Kim wanted her to record for an album, but her vocals were never used. Her early material was lyrically typical of dancehall and drew comparisons with Lady Saw , along with whom she was proclaimed "the top female artists in Jamaica" in 1998 by the Washington Post , but later developed beyond what she called "the same old four topics" to 'reality' themes and even lyrics critical of homophobia . Social scientist Clinton Hutton said of her: "She
184-519: A year. In 2019, Stephens was honoured by the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) for her contribution to the reggae industry as a songwriter. In 2006, Tanya sued American rapper Lil' Kim for plagiarism on her song "Durty" from The Naked Truth asking for all rights to the song, past, present & future. Stephens claimed that Kim used the lyrics from her song "Mi and Mi God", stating that "she even used
207-651: Is very intuitively intelligent and deftly tackles relevant social issues". In a talk in 2011 at the University of the West Indies , she urged her fellow artists to be more socially responsible, and spoke out against the objectification of women in dancehall lyrics and the promotion of bigotry and violation of human rights, saying "The music that once spoke to and spread messages of peace and love, now merely judges, condemns and provokes." Her song "Still Alive" deals with discrimination against people with HIV, and it
230-407: The Jamaica national U-20 and U-17 teams . In 2008 Jarrett Park was selected as one of the host venues for the 2008 Caribbean cup and was also selected as one of the host venues for the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 championship . Tanya Stephens Vivienne Tanya Stephenson (born 2 July 1973), known by her stage name Tanya Stephens , is a Jamaican reggae singer and deejay who emerged in
253-534: The club moved to the cross town to the Cathrine Hall Sports Complex. Jarrett Park also the home of 2 time Jamaica Premier League champions Wadadah FC , it is also the home of Faulkland Football Club since 2013 (to present) when they started playing in the St. James Division 2 football Competition and has also hosted selected international matches of the senior Jamaica national football team &
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#1732784016395276-481: The development of Jamaican music. Reggae Sunsplash returned as a virtual festival on November 27–28, 2020 after a 14-year absence. Performers included Tanya Stephens , Richie Spice , Capleton , Masicka, Dexta Dapps , Jesse Royal , Agent Sasco , and Romain Virgo . Jarrett Park Jamaica cricket team (1965–2001) Jarrett Park is a multi-use stadium in the city of Montego Bay , Jamaica . It has
299-478: The festival included a sound clash event, with finalists from a national sound system competition competing as a precursor to the rest of the festival. The festival also expanded to include an 'oldies night' featuring stars from past eras of Jamaican music. For many years the festival was emceed by Tommy Cowan . In 1984 the Reggae Sunsplash Festival expanded into international events with
322-644: The festival. To promote Jamaica as a tourist and traveling target in Europe , the Jamaica Tourist Board invited the German band Supermax as the opening act of the annual festival in Montego Bay in 1983. From 1981, the festivals were filmed and recorded, with several videos and albums released, the first being Reggae Sunsplash '81: Tribute to Bob Marley , released by Elektra Records . From 1987
345-496: The following year the festival's scope increased further with the addition of a "World Beat Night". While the festival had become hugely popular, opening new global tourist niche markets to Jamaica and attracting millions of dollars of foreign exchange into the country, it had not been a financial success, largely due to the lack of sponsorship or government support. In 1995 the Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board operating through
368-641: The late 1990s. She is most known for her hits "Yuh Nuh Ready Fi Dis Yet" — later featured on the Reggae Gold 1997 compilation album — and "It's a Pity", for which Stephens achieved international recognition. She and business partner Andrew Henton have together co-founded Tarantula Records . Stephens was born in 1973 and grew up in St. Mary and St. Ann , attending Zion Hill and Ocho Rios primary schools and St Mary High. She has three brothers and three sisters (one sister deceased). She began recording in
391-459: The mid-1990s for producers such as Dave Kelly and Philip "Fatis" Burrell . Her 1996 single "Yuh Nuh Ready Fi Dis Yet", produced by Kelly, brought her to the attention of the Jamaican public, and she had further success with singles such as "Draw fi Mi Finger", "Freaky Type", and "Cry and Bawl". Her debut, Big Things a Gwaan , was released in 1994 (featuring Yami Bolo on a cover version of Suzanne Vega 's " Tom's Diner " and Prezident Brown on
414-536: The original owners Synergy Productions in 1996 was a financial disaster for the new claimants. In 1997 the Reggae Sunsplash festival was postponed until 1998 to hold celebrations of the birth of Bob Marley but more losses were incurred. The festival was re-established by the Johnson family in 2006, but it was unsuccessful. However, the international touring festival has continued. Three of the founding directors, John Wakeling, Tony Johnson, and Ed Barclay have died. With
437-468: The passing of Tony Johnson, several individuals have unsuccessfully tried to claim the rights to the festival, and all have failed to recapture the spirit of the original festival. Don Green and Ronnie Burke are the two remaining Reggae Sunsplash founders alive. In August 2015 it was announced that Burke would be awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican government in recognition of his contribution to
460-463: The summer season. The festival's annual staging by its five founding partners helped establish a new summer tourist season in the region. The event's success also prompted the emergence of other annual music festivals across Jamaica and the Caribbean islands . As attendance increased, so did the demand for accommodations, leading some attendees to adopt the practice of camping on local beaches during
483-456: Was a number one hit in the Caribbean staying on Tempo's Chart at number 1 for more than 4 weeks. The album was totally sold out in Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean. The track "Come A Long Way" is a dedication to black leaders. Infallible , was released in 2010, initially given free with the Jamaican base German magazine Riddim then made available for free download for more than
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#1732784016395506-505: Was purchased by the St James Parish Council, now St James Municipal Corporation, in 1957, fulfilling the need for a permanent recreational venue for the residents of Montego Bay. From 1965 to 2001 Jarrett Park hosted regional first class matches while hosting a women's test international match in 1976. The Stadium has hosted association football with Jamaica Premier League club Montego Bay United FC until 2013 when
529-458: Was used in a television campaign dealing with the issue. In 2007, Stephens was awarded a scholarship by Resource Development International to study for a Business Management degree via the internet from the University of Sunderland . In 2009 she made her acting debut, playing Nurse Tracey in the CVM TV series Royal Palm Estate . She also opened the restaurant ' H 2 O ' the same year in
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