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Over the years, symbolic crownings have become a tradition at Reggae Sumfest.
In July 2009, Beenie Man was given the symbolic title of King of the Dancehall, five years after his hit, King of the Dancehall. Adorned in a robe and a crown, the Reggae Sumfest directors, Walter Elmore and Johnny Gourzong, presented the title to the veteran musician. The official citation given to him read:
“In this, his 30th year in the music industry, it is only fitting to recognise his undeniable contribution to the development of dancehall and his role in promoting Jamaica’s culture to international audiences ... Beenie Man embodies the ideals promoted by the directors of Reggae Sumfest. Perhaps these qualities that we have in common have sustained Beenie Man’s dedication to the 17-year-old festival.”
An elated Beenie Man told The Gleaner in a July 26, 2009, interview: “It’s overwhelming. There is nothing that compares to it, not even the Grammy that I received,” referring to his 2000 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album, for his LP, Art and Life, which he won at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2001.
Almost three years later, in 2012, Lady Saw was given the honour of Queen of Dancehall. This came after Lady Saw was banned from performing on the Reggae Sumfest stage for several years. In fact, she was not allowed to perform in Montego Bay. This ban was in the wake of multiple Jamaican artistes being charged for their “lewd, indecent, and abusive language” during their sets at local shows. Addressing the complexity of her legacy at the stage show in the wake of her crowning, she stated: “I’ve had my bad days and I’ve had my good days, but what’s due to Caesar must go to him!” A year later, at the festival’s 21st staging, Marion Hall did her last performance under the name Lady Saw.
Then in 2022, the matriarchal honour was passed on to Spice. The honour was to be conferred in 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview with the Observer Online, Spice said: “I am super excited and elated about this and I am also humbled because at the end of the day, it is highly deserving because mi work hard. It’s been 20 years. It’s been a long time coming. I have invested a lot, and I continue to give back not only to Sumfest and the performances and the stage entrances but to the entire genre of dancehall.”
Now, just like the queen’s crown, the male crown will be passed on this Friday when Vybz Kartel will be officially crowned the new King of Dancehall by the Reggae Sumfest organisers. Similar to Beenie Man almost two decades ago, Kartel made his proclamation to the title when, in 2016, he released the album King of the Dancehall. The veteran artiste, who is currently embarking on a worldwide tour, is the headline act for night one of the festival.
J.T. Davy is a member of Tenement Yaad Media, where she writes and co-produces their popular historical podcast, ‘Lest We Forget’. Send feedback to jordpilot@hotmail.com and entertainment@gleanerjm.com.
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