by Howard Campbell
KINGSTON, Jamaica – It’s approaching that point of 12 months when Tony Insurgent dons his artist/promoter’s hat, getting ready for his Rebel Salute festival. Because it celebrates its thirtieth anniversary, this 12 months is a fair greater deal for the lanky Rastafarian.
Insurgent Salute is scheduled for January 19-20 at Grizzly’s Plantation Cove in St. Ann parish, about 15 miles west of the resort city of Ocho Rios. Fittingly, it has 30 acts, 15 for every evening.
“Followers can count on extra of what they’ve been getting for the previous 29 years. We’re simply going to reinforce it,” mentioned Insurgent.
As a result of it options primarily vocalists, opening evening is dubbed ‘Singers Paradise’. Marcia Griffiths, Sanchez, Mikey Spice, Benjy Myaz and Richie Stephens, in addition to Third World are the primary acts.
Closing evening is a dancehall showcase led by Capleton, Anthony B, Queen Ifrica and Sean Paul who makes his Insurgent Salute debut.
Tony Insurgent first held the present in 1994 in his native Manchester parish to rejoice his January 15 birthday. The inaugural gig had his good pal Garnet Silk among the many high acts, and was a roots-reggae bonanza.
Over time, he has maintained a strict coverage that sees no sale of alcohol or meat. That, Tony Insurgent factors out, is an indicator he isn’t in for monetary causes.
“It’s by no means been about simply earning profits, if it was I might have gone to Pink Stripe Beer and different corporations like dat. We need to construct a group that retains our tradition alive, we don’t need it to die,” he mentioned.
Together with Garnet Silk and Everton Blender, Tony Insurgent helped revive Rastafarian content material in dancehall music in the course of the Nineteen Nineties after practically a decade of slackness and gun lyrics from acts like Yellow Man and Ninjaman. His hit songs then included Contemporary Vegetable, Candy Jamaica and Reggae Put Jamaica pon Prime.
Insurgent Salute has served because the global reggae festival pipe-opener for a few years now, attracting vacationers, journalists and reserving brokers, primarily from Europe.
