The Board of Directors of the Brooklyn-based Coalition to Preserve Reggae Music (CPR) announced on Wednesday that Reggae Culture Salute 2019 (RCS) will be a “Tribute to The Wailers” in recognition of the trio’s contribution to the development and spread of the genre.
According to Carlyle McKetty, CPR’s Jamaican-born president, this year’s event will take place at the Kumble Theater at One University Plaza, downtown Brooklyn, on Saturday, Nov. 2.
“The family friendly event which marks the anniversary of the coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I and Empress Menen of Ethiopia highlights the unique relationship between, reggae, Rasta, Emperor Selassie and Jamaica,” he said.
“This year’s event comes in the wake of UNESCO’s inscription of reggae to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” he added, referring to the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization.
McKetty said Reggae Culture Salute routinely draws on diverse artistic disciplines, adding that, for 2019, it will present nyabinghi drumming, spoken-word, dance and song “to commemorate the coronation and pay tributes to The Wailers in celebration of the UNESCO inscription.”
He said the highlight of the tribute to The Wailers will be the first ever New York performance of the official Wailers Trio Tribute Group and the presentation of the CPR Pinnacle Award for Excellence to The Wailers, with Neville “Bunny Wailer” Livingston, O.M. on hand to participate in a pre-event VIP reception and accept the award during the event.
McKetty said the tribute trio comprises contemporary artists, Asadenaki Livingston, son of Bunny Wailer; Jason Wright and Hervin Bailey.
They will perform The Wailers’s music that dates back to the 1960s and 70s, “introducing to some and remind others what the foundation of the music was like,” McKetty said.
To round out the evening, he said the CPR Allstars with vocalist Shango Trex and contributions from various guests, including dub poet Ras Takura, will pay further tribute to The Wailers — Robert “Bob” Marley, O.M.; Hubert “Peter Tosh” McIntosh, O.M.; and Bunny Wailer, with classics from their solo careers.
McKetty said dancers from the Asoso International Ensemble will also perform.
He said the event also marks the lunch of The Legacy Project, a new CPR initiative to curate and digitally present information about reggae pioneers.
“Arguably, the combination of the decade and a half of The Wailers added to the solo careers of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer make the trio the premier contributor to the development and spread of reggae music, and we are honored to pay this tribute to The Wailers as we launch our Legacy Project initiative,” said McKetty, who is also CPR’s co-founder.
“Each year, Reggae Culture Salute attracts a diverse inter-generation audience of reggae lovers who welcome the opportunity to celebrate roots reggae music in an atmosphere of authenticity,” he said. “Adults are encouraged to bring children to experience this special moment in New York reggae history.”
He said doors open at 7:00 pm for networking and a VIP reception, where VIP ticket holders have the opportunity to meet and greet the honoree and other artists. The performances start at 8:00 pm.
For tickets, visit the Kumble Theater box office kumbl
