President Obama made headlines when he landed in Jamaica approximately 7:31pm on Wednesday night, the first US President to visit the Caribbean country in over thirty-three years. Moments after arriving, the President made an unexpected visit to the Bob Marley Museum on Hope Road in Kingston to pay tribute to the world’s most notable and widely acclaimed reggae artist, Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley.
The President’s spontaneous trip to the museum shows the power and reach that Reggae music has on the lives of world citizens near and far. Obama showed the world what reggae means to him; while touring the museum he was heard saying “I still have all the albums.” Reggae has continued to grow since the time of Bob Marley and there are many organizations in the front line striving to preserve this world renowned art form.
One such organization based in NY is currently in their tenth year of striving to preserve reggae music. The Coalition to Preserve Reggae Music (CPR) was founded by two reggae lovers Sharon Gordon and Carlyle McKetty. The Brooklyn not-for-profit has been a staple in the community, having created a platform for speaking to issues that affects people within the music industry as well as in their community. Each year, CPR hosts Reggae Cultural Salute, a multimedia event that commemorates the coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia with a celebration of the relationship between reggae Rasta, Emperor Selassie and Jamaica. The event boasts a family atmosphere in which to learn about the history of reggae and the culture from which it was birthed.
Most recently, CPR teamed up with Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York to host the International Women of Reggae on April 25, 2015. The event, which marks the organization’s ten year anniversary celebrates the feminine energy in reggae. The headliner for the #IWOR concert is Etana (the Strong One) who recently made International headlines when her inspirational song “Better Tomorrow,” was selected as the theme song for the UN’s Campaign against Ebola. Etana has donated the proceeds from the song to the campaign and will be honored for this at the event. For more information about how you can help in the fight against the Ebola epidemic, visit the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) at their website www.ebolaandbeyond.com.
To answer the question first posed, what do Obama, Bob Marley and Jamaica have in common, the word is Reggae! Reggae is known for its contagious beat, social commentary, healing properties and spiritual uplifting message and has crossed all barriers to touching the hearts and souls of millions across the globe, including President Barack Obama.
