Senate Resolution No. 110

BY: Senator PARKER

RECOGNIZING July 1, 2023, 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, 2023, 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 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, 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, 2023, as International Reggae Day; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Andrea Davis.