February was selected to commemorate Reggae Month as both the King (Bob Marley) and the Prince (Dennis Brown) of Reggae were born during the month. The first Reggae Month was celebrated in 2010.
Reggae originated in downtown Kingston, where the major studios like Studio One and Treasure Isle were located. Think of any major name in Reggae’s history and, ten to one, they were either born, raised or got their big break in a downtown Kingston community – Bob and The Wailers, the I-Three (Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffith), Dennis Brown, John Holt, Bob Andy, Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd and many more.
Dennis Brown, hailed as the Crown Prince of Reggae, released some 84 studio albums, seven live productions and countless singles over the course of his 30-year career. Talk about prolific!
Despite his iconic status, Bob Marley never won a Grammy award – the Best Reggae Recording category was added in 1984, three years after his death.
The first Reggae Grammy was won by Black Uhuru for the album Anthem.
So, there you have it. Five fast facts about Reggae to share with your friends and fellow music lovers. ‘Dig’ through our special Reggae Month page to find out more.