Olivia “Babsy” Grange—

Reggae could be inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage for Humanity as soon as 2018.
Culture Minister Olivia Grange announced in the House of Representatives, that a nomination dossier was submitted in March and UNESCO last week confirmed that it is in receipt of the nomination file, ‘Reggae music of Jamaica’.
“This international protection instrument, will ensure that the origins of Reggae and its derivatives are appropriately documented and safeguarded for present and future generations,” the minister said.
She told parliamentarians that there has been a heightened appeal of Jamaica’s Reggae music around the world.
“As a country, we are proud that the world has embraced our cultural creation, but we are acutely aware of the urgency to safeguard the music form,” she said.
A UNESCO Committee meets annually to evaluate nominations and decide whether or not to inscribe those cultural practices and expressions of intangible heritage on the Convention’s Lists.