Jamaican stars in Abidjan for Abi-Reggae fest

The music festival will be headlined by internationally renowned reggae artists Third World, Morgan Heritage, Kymani Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Deevine and Judy Mowatt, as well as Ivorian reggae star Alpha Blondy (who is set to launch a new album, Positive Energy, on 20 April), supported by reggae acts from across the African continent, including Jeannot la Baguette, Roy Anta Kitty, Ras Goody Brown, Spyrow, Les Vieux Mogo, Larry Cheick, Massa Falasha, Kalu Jah and others.

The four-day festival, the first of its kind on the continent of Africa, will include discussions on reggae music, specifically its origins and its impact on the African continent and the rest of the world, as well as other Caribbean-African linkages in general. Held simultaneously with the festival, the conference will feature participants such as Dr Julius Garvey, son of the renowned Jamaican pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey, as well as Rastafarian dub poet and musician Mutabaruka and University of the West Indies (UWI) lecturer Jalani Niaah.

An array of stalls will highlight Jamaican and African crafts and culinary offerings, among other items of historical and cultural significance.

Abi-Reggae was conceptualised by the Moussa Dosso, a senior member of the Ivorian government, who visited Jamaica in 2013 and initiated discussions on the project with former minister of culture, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, who will be attending the festival.

According to the Jamaica Observer, the Jamaican contingent, numbering approximately 60 participants, left Jamaica on Sunday 5 April.

For more details visit the Abi-Reggae website.