Rebel Salute, arguably Jamaica’s most popular reggae event, will make its overseas debut in April in Miramar, South Florida.
The show, which marks its 31st anniversary in St. Ann, Jamaica on January 18th, will be held at Miramar Readiness Center on April 20th.
That date, according to founder Tony Rebel, is strategic. It is known globally as 4/20, when marijuana advocates celebrate the plant’s economic and health benefits.
“We plan to go other places but we are not advanced with those aspects yet. But Florida is 4/20, we are coming to Florida on 4/20,” said Tony Rebel.
Like most cities in South Florida, Miramar is home to a large Jamaican community. Wayne Messam, its mayor, is the son of Jamaican parents while most of the city’s commissioners are Jamaican.
Miramar also hosts the annual Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival, one of South Florida’s calendar events.
The inaugural Rebel Salute was held on January 15, 1994, Tony Rebel’s birthday, in his home parish of Manchester in southern Jamaica. It was headlined by his close friend, singer Garnet Silk, who was also from Manchester.
Along with Garnet Silk, Tony Rebel led a roots-reggae revival in Jamaican music during the early 1990s. He made his name with culturally-themed songs such as Sweet Jamaica, Fresh Vegetable and Chatty Chatty.
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