By: Bakary Ceesay
Stonebwoy, awards winning Ghanaian Afropop, dancehall, and reggae artiste will perform Rebel Salute Festival on 20-21 January 2023 at Plantation Cove, St Ann Jamaica.
Stonebwoy, chief executive officer of Burniton Music Group who won the Best International Act: Africa category at the 2015 BET Awards and Artist of the Year at the 2015 Ghana Music Awards is the only African prominent artiste booked to perform in the two-day festival, the first held in 1994 to celebrate Rebel’s birthday, to date.
This year’s line-up of performers is impressive. Friday night (January 20) will see Nation Boss, Rodney Price (aka Bounty Killer), Bling Dawg, Rytikal, Lady G, Heavyweight Rockaz, Pluto Shervington, Big Mountain, Louie Culture, Kabaka Pyramid, Papa Michigan, Horace Andy, Glen Washington, Duane Stephenson, Tony Rebel, and Dennis Walks, among others.
Saturday’s line-up reads Johnny Clarke, Errol Dunkley, Capleton, Leroy Gibbons, Josey Wales, Echo Minott, Kumar Fyah, Moses Davis (aka Beenie Man), I Wayne, I-Octane, Leroy Sibbles, Chezidek, Sanchez, Stonebwoy, Luciano, and Timoy Jones (aka Teejay).
Tony Rebel, chief executive officer of Rebel Salute said: “I feel proud to know that I can have an event that contributes to the GDP [gross domestic product] of Jamaica. I see busmen, taximen, and hairdressers reaching out to me asking if Rebel Salute is keeping. Even persons from the hotels have been reaching out, even though we could do with more hotel rooms. The hotels are full because people are coming for the event”
Since 2013, Rebel Salute has settled in Priory, St Ann, in the heart of a tourism country. It attracts visitors from leading reggae markets in Europe, North America, and Japan as well as booking agents and a variety of vendors.
Rebel, who is known for hit songs such as Jah By My Side, Fresh Vegetable, Armour, Chatty Chatty, Nazarene Vow, Sweet Jamaica, and Just Friends, said the show expanded to two days due to overwhelming requests from patrons and performers.
“When we went to St Elizabeth, the artiste line-up started to grow. I use my emotions when it comes to selecting artists for the show. When we finished, we did a survey, and 100 percent of those we spoke to said we should keep it over two days. We moved to St Ann where we had more parking facilities, more hotel rooms, and even camping facilities,” said Rebel.
Said Rebel, “At this year’s event you can expect what is always expected: A wide array of edutainment to satisfy your musical needs. We’ll have the indigenous Jamaican products and artwork on sale, the Herb Curb to sensitise persons about the therapeutic, medicinal, and economical side of the herb [ganja] and we have a great show line-up.”
Tony Rebel was one of the artists who helped transform dancehall music from “slackness” to consciousness in the 1990s. As he did then, he hopes to leave a legacy with his show.
“Something that people can look up to is that Rebel Salute could be done without slackness, vulgarity, alcohol, or meat. I would love for Rebel Salute to continue for generations, and that’s why I have brought in my children to help with the organization of the event.”
About Rebel Salute
Rebel Salute is an annual music festival held in Jamaica. It is held on January 15 of every year, the birthday of promoter Tony Rebel. It is one of Jamaica’s biggest music festivals, known for its focus on roots and conscious music. Rebel began the festival in 1994 in the parish of Manchester and was long held annually in St. Elizabeth on the country’s south coast until 2012. As of 2014, a festival is now a two-day event, held in the Richmond Park Estate in Saint Ann Parish.
The festival was billed as the Pepsi Rebel Salute during a three-year sponsorship agreement with PepsiCo. Festival producers stated they pursued the agreement as Pepsi products were more in-line with the festival’s stance, which allows no alcohol and no meat.
The festival has also featured dancehall performers not normally known for “conscious” lyrics by billing them under their birth name, rather than their stage name, to highlight their “good side”, according to Tony Rebel.
