Ottawa Reggae Festival

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The Ottawa Reggae Festival is volunteer driven music festival held since 2008 annually at Le Breton Flats Park, Ottawa. It is owned by Ottawa Reggae Festival Inc. CEO Benjamin Williams is also the founder. [1]

LeBreton Flats Neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

LeBreton Flats is a neighbourhood in Somerset Ward in central Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It lies to the west of Centretown neighbourhood, and to the north of Centretown West. The Ottawa River forms the western and northern limit, with the western side being a wider area of the river known as Nepean Bay.

Ottawa Federal capital city in Ontario, Canada

Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It stands on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of southern Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec; the two form the core of the Ottawa–Gatineau census metropolitan area (CMA) and the National Capital Region (NCR). As of 2016, Ottawa had a city population of 934,243 and a metropolitan population of 1,323,783 making it the fourth-largest city and the fifth-largest CMA in Canada.

Contents

History

Reggae music originated in Jamaica in the 1960s and has grown to become a worldwide cultural and musical expression. The inaugural Ottawa Reggae Festival was held in 2008 as a one-day event. An added day became the Heineken Dance Party designed to showcase local and regional artists along with Disc Jockeys all from the reggae industry. The 2008 line-up included Canada's Dancehall and Reggae artist Jamilean, UK artist Maxi Priest, Canada's Reggaeton musician El Neggro, Bermudian Collie Buddz, and Toronto's Snow.

Reggae Music genre from Jamaica

Reggae is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s.The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use the word "reggae", effectively naming the genre and introducing it to a global audience. While sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of popular Jamaican dance music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that was strongly influenced by traditional mento as well as American jazz and rhythm and blues, especially the New Orleans R&B practiced by Fats Domino and Allen Toussaint, and evolved out of the earlier genres ska and rocksteady. Reggae usually relates news, social gossip, and political comment. Reggae spread into a commercialized jazz field, being known first as ‘Rudie Blues’, then ‘Ska’, later ‘Blue Beat’, and ‘Rock Steady’. It is instantly recognizable from the counterpoint between the bass and drum downbeat, and the offbeat rhythm section. The immediate origins of reggae were in ska and rocksteady; from the latter, reggae took over the use of the bass as a percussion instrument.

Disc jockey person who plays recorded music for an audience

A disc jockey, often abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays existing recorded music for a live audience. Most common types of DJs include radio DJ, club DJ who performs at a nightclub or music festival and turntablist who uses record players, usually turntables, to manipulate sounds on phonograph records. Originally, the disc in disc jockey referred to gramophone records, but now DJ is used as an all-encompassing term to describe someone who mixes recorded music from any source, including cassettes, CDs or digital audio files on a CDJ or laptop. The title DJ is commonly used by DJs in front of their real names or adopted pseudonyms or stage names. In recent years it has become common for DJs to be featured as the credited artist on tracks they produced despite having a guest vocalist that performs the entire song: like for example Uptown Funk.

Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably, with digital dancehall becoming increasingly characterized by faster rhythms. Key elements of dancehall music include its extensive use of Jamaican Patois rather than Jamaican standard English and a focus on the track instrumentals.

Since the inaugural year, the festival has received support from the community and the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Ottawa and Heritage Canada. It became a member of Ottawa Festivals, but it is no longer a member in 2019. [2]

The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) is a publicly funded Canadian organization in the province of Ontario whose purpose is to promote and assist the development of the arts for the enjoyment and benefit of all Ontarians. Based in Toronto, OAC was founded in 1963 by Ontario's Premier at the time, John Robarts.

City of Ottawa municipal corporate entity

The City of Ottawa is the corporate entity of municipal government in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The corporation is responsible for provision of services to the public as well as enforcement of municipal by-laws. It is overseen by the City Manager, and responsible to the Mayor of Ottawa and City Council.

The National Trust for Canada, is a registered charity with the mandate to inspire and lead action to save historic places, and promote the care and wise use of our historic environment. Its sites, projects and programs enhance community and quality of life and inspire Canadians to identify, conserve, use, celebrate and value their heritage buildings, landscapes, natural areas and communities for present and future generations. Established in 1973, it has campaigned to update and fill gaps in Canadian heritage policies and laws, including supporting legislation such as Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act. The National Trust for Canada also awards municipalities for their actions in preserving historical built environments through the Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage Leadership.

The Ottawa Reggae Festival also hosts community events around the nation's capital throughout the year. These events include the 46th Anniversary Celebration of Jamaican Independence with the Ottawa Rapidz, a Canada Day Block Party downtown and Marley Night event celebrating Black History Month. As of 2019, the event has grown to a 3-day long international festival.

Canada Day Canadian national holiday on July 1

Canada Day is the national day of Canada. A federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of July 1, 1867, the effective date of the Constitution Act, 1867, which united the three separate colonies of the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a single Dominion within the British Empire called Canada. Originally called Dominion Day, the holiday was renamed in 1982, the year the Canada Act was passed. Canada Day celebrations take place throughout the country, as well as in various locations around the world, attended by Canadians living abroad.

Block party

A block party or street party is a party in which many members of a single community congregate, either to observe an event of some importance or simply for mutual enjoyment. The name comes from the form of the party, which often involves closing an entire city block to vehicle traffic. Many times, there will be a celebration in the form of playing music and dance and activities like pony rides, inflatable slides, popcorn machines and barbecues.

Black History Month Annual celebration of Black history

Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently has been observed unofficially in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It began as a way for remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. It is celebrated in February in the United States and Canada, while in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom it is observed in October

Coca Cola partnered with the festival's green team, making it possible to recycle over 240 cubic feet (6,800 L) of cardboard, plastic and aluminum.

Coca-Cola Carbonated soft drink

Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company. Originally intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton and was bought out by businessman Asa Griggs Candler, whose marketing tactics led Coca-Cola to its dominance of the world soft-drink market throughout the 20th century. The drink's name refers to two of its original ingredients: coca leaves, and kola nuts. The current formula of Coca-Cola remains a trade secret, although a variety of reported recipes and experimental recreations have been published.

Controversy

In its third year, The Ottawa Reggae Festival has come under fire for financial mismanagement, artist no-shows, and cancelled performances. On August 21, 2010, monies and receipts were seized from the festival's beer tent following a court ruling against the festival from A. Raoul Nembhard, the festival's former chief financial officer. [3] Nemhard claimed that he had not been reimbursed for his out-of-pocket expenses incurred during the previous year's festival. [4]

On August 22, 2010, the last day of the festival, the entire day of performances was cancelled with its headlining acts, Sean Paul and Ky-mani Marley, pulling out. Many of the vendors and performers feared that they would not be paid. Sean Paul's representative, Headline Entertainment, cited a lack of confidence in the festival's ability to pay Paul's $50,000 appearance fee after delays in obtaining a deposit from the festival. Sean Paul took to Twitter to blame the promoters for disorganization and to apologize to his Canadian fans. [5]

L3 magazine, sponsor and publicist of the festival, issued a release blaming the President Benjamin Williams for the festival's financial troubles. [6] The festival's board of directors also released a statement criticising the 25-year-old Williams for his "youth and inexperience" and poor financial decisions. [7]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Federal Corporation Information - 679968-0 - Online Filing Centre - Corporations Canada - Corporations - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada". www.ic.gc.ca. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  2. ↑ "Member List | Ottawa Festivals". www.ottawafestivals.ca. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  3. ↑ "Lawsuit looms after Reggae Fest cancellation | CTV News Ottawa". ottawa.ctvnews.ca. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  4. ↑ "Ottawa Reggae Festival cancels final day | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  5. ↑ Sean Paul's Twitter Comment
  6. ↑ Reggae Fest Pulls Plug on Final Day The Ottawa Sun
  7. ↑ "Ottawa Reggae Festival – Official Statement". Ottawa Festivals d'Ottawa. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
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