JULY 19 - 25, 2009

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA

The Montego Bay business and entertainment community, faced with the loss of the annual reggae festival (Reggae Sunsplash), took a decision to fill the void by coming together to form Summerfest Productions Limited in 1993. The shareholders included Hartley Morris, John Gourzong, Robert Russell, Walter Elmore, Sydney Reid, Godfrey Dyer, the late Lucille Lue, Dennis Morgan, David Lindo, Walt Crooks, Josef Forstmayer, Heinz Simonitsch, Nathan Robb, Barry Jenoure and other well known members of the Montego Bay business community.

The first staging of Reggae Sumfest took place from August 11 – 14, 1993. Since then the festival has grown from strength to strength and is now widely regarded as the world’s premier reggae music event. Staged annually in Montego Bay, Reggae Sumfest is Jamaica’s only weeklong music festival dedicated to promoting our indigenous art form while also promoting the island as a vacation destination.

Reggae Sumfest in its 15 stagings, has sought to showcase the best talent in reggae music while also promoting Montego Bay and the island of Jamaica, as a vacation destination. The event has over the years featured the best talent in reggae music such as Shaggy, Sean Paul, Damian “Junior Gong” Marley, Inner Circle, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, Sizzla, Steel Pulse, Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers, Beres Hammond, Burning Spear, Bunny Wailer, Third World, Morgan Heritage, Maxi Priest, Gregory Isaacs, Buju Banton, Mavado, Lady Saw, Macka Diamond, Gentleman, and Shabba Ranks as well as late greats Dennis Brown, Garnett Silk and Joseph Hill (Culture).

Since inception the company’s motto has been “Promoting Music, the Universal Force”. International acts have been successfully incorporated into the line up, namely Mary J. Blige, Destiny’s Child, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Ludacris, Lionel Richie, Missy Elliott, 50 Cent & G-Unit, Jay-Z, Akon, Ja Rule, Fantasia Barino, Rihanna, Ashanti, Snoop Dogg, Boyz II Men, K-Ci & JoJo, Dru Hill, Wyclef Jean, Joe, Blu Cantrell, the Temptations, and LL Cool J. The event has over the last eleven years developed a reputation of being the first to bring a number of hot current artistes to Jamaica, having brought Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Akon and Rihanna prior to their meteoric success in snatching several awards.

The festival receives significant media coverage each year from the international press core. Media that have supported the event include MTV, MUCH Music, VIBE and Billboard Magazines, BET, BBC and Channel O of South Africa, and many more. It attracts patrons from all across the United States, the United Kingdom, many European countries, South and Central America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and neighbouring Caribbean islands.

In 2001, after a long relationship dating back to the inception of the festival, Red Stripe and Summerfest Productions Ltd. brokered a partnership and the event’s name was changed to Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest. The marriage between Jamaica’s leading beer Red Stripe, and Reggae Sumfest, has not only been a natural one, but it also the conglomeration of two of the country’s leading promoters of Jamaica’s musical heritage. After a very successful 6 year run, Red Stripe took a corporate decision in 2008, not to be Title Sponsor of the festival. Other corporate sponsors of the festival have included the Jamaica Tourist Board, Air Jamaica, Digicel, Ocean Spray, Coca Cola, Vitamin Water, BET J, Appleton Jamaica Rum, Cable & Wireless, Continental Airlines, Big Yard Music, VP Records, Pepsi, Coca Cola and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

In 2003 Summerfest Productions Ltd. took the brand Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest overseas with a mini tour to neighbouring Caribbean territories such as Antigua, Guyana and Trinidad during the month of April. On May 25, 2003 the first annual Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest Miami was held at Bicentennial Park and featured Beenie Man, Sean Paul, Elephant Man, Wayne Wonder and Lady Saw alongside US based stars Wyclef Jean and Lil Kim.

The future of reggae music is bright as is evidenced by the current success of Shaggy, Sean Paul, Wayne Wonder, Beenie Man as well as a host of new talent who have emerged over the last two years. Summerfest Productions believes in the music of our small island nation and sees Reggae Sumfest as the premier vehicle through which to promote and showcase the incredible talent of our Jamaica’s music.