 
Senate Resolution No. 1142
 
BY: Senator PARKER
 
        RECOGNIZING  July 1, 2021, as International Reggae
        Day
 
  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body, in keeping  with
its  time-honored  traditions,  to  celebrate  certain days which foster
ethnic pride  and  enhance  the  profile  of  cultural  diversity  which
strengthens the fabric of the communities of New York State; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
recognize July 1, 2021, as International Reggae Day; and
 
  WHEREAS,  International  Reggae  Day  is  an  annual  event  held in
Kingston, Jamaica, and is dedicated to celebrating this style  of  music
that  entered  the  world  in  a  sleepy  little  island  country in the
Caribbean; on this day, thousands of fans and musicians  come  from  all
over  the  world  to gather and celebrate the amazing history of reggae;
and
 
  WHEREAS, It took some time, but reggae eventually exploded to  touch
every  corner  of  the  world  with  its unusual and attractive, relaxed
style; and
 
  WHEREAS, Originally born out of Ska and rocksteady genres  of  music
in  the  1960s,  reggae  quickly  gained distinction with its unpolished
sound and strong dependence  on  rhythm;  it  took  a  few  years  as  a
grassroots  movement  before  it  began  expanding far beyond its little
originating island; and
 
  WHEREAS, Reggae  became  particularly  popular  in  English-speaking
nations  such  as  the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia;
and
 
  WHEREAS, Reggae music is of invaluable cultural significance to many
New Yorkers, especially New Yorkers of Jamaican origin who find  joy  in
the upbeat nature of Reggae music; and
 
  WHEREAS, The structure of many other genres of music produced in the
State  of  New York, hip-hop in particular, has incorporated significant
artistic inspiration from Reggae music: and
 
  WHEREAS, Reggae became a powerful style of music with deep roots and
since then its influence has never really stopped growing; and
 
  WHEREAS, The style of reggae has definitely made its mark and spread
wide, with tons of different styles and variations popping up; and
 
  WHEREAS, One of these variations includes a type  of  poetry  called
Dub  Poetry,  which  is  West  Indian Poetry that is then synced up with
amazing reggae beats to create a musical poetry style all its own; and
 
  WHEREAS, Some of the most popular reggae artists include Bob  Marley
and  his  band,  The  Wailers;  he  has  often been hailed as one of the
 
pioneers of the reggae movement, and together they released 11 albums in
their active years from 1973 to 1981; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Another  well-known artist, Jimmy Cliff, who is best known
in mainstream circles  for  "Wonderful  World,  Beautiful  People",  has
released approximately 30 albums and was inducted into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame in 2010; and
 
  WHEREAS,  A  third artist who was one of the original members of The
Wailers, was Peter Tosh who later became a solo artist and a promoter of
the religious movement, Rastafari; he had more than 14 reggae albums  to
his name before his tragic death in 1987; and
 
  WHEREAS, International Reggae Day 2021 will be celebrated on JulyOne
as  a virtual 1Love Rally to unite, inspire and uplift the global reggae
community; it will also celebrate the many faces of  one  love  and  the
impact of love on reggae music; and
 
  WHEREAS,    According   to   Andrea   Davis,   Founder/Producer   of
International Reggae Day, reggae music is special not  only  because  of
its  distinct  sound but also because it has the power to inspire change
and it continues to be an important voice in times like these  when  the
world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic; now, therefore, be it
 
  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
recognize July 1, 2021, as International Reggae Day; and be it further
 
  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to Andrea Davis.
Recognizing July 1, 2021, as International Reggae Day

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