This year’s celebrations to mark International Reggae Day (IRD) will pay homage to reggae king Bob Marley.

This marks the 40th anniversary of Marley’s passing and, according to IRD conceptualiser Andrea Davis, his timeless One Love anthem, first released by the Wailers in 1965 and later re-recorded by Bob Marley and the Wailers in 1977. It was voted song of the millennium by the British Broadcasting Corporation ( BBC) in 1999 and remains a rallying theme worldwide.

Davis shared that IRD 2021 will be celebrated on July 1 as a virtual ‘1Love Rally’ to unite, inspire and uplift the global reggae community.

She continued that reggae music has become synonymous with 1Love — a principle and affirmation first articulated by Jamaican National Hero Marcus Garvey, contextualised by Rastafari and later popularised by Bob Marley.

“As the world continues to battle the impact the [novel coronavirus] pandemic, the existential threat that is climate change, increased levels of global poverty, and violence against women, the power of love is essential to healing — love for self, family, community, country, culture, and planet.

“Reggae music is special not only because if its distinctive sound, but also because it has the power to inspire change, and it continues to be an important voice in times like these,” said Davis.

She is keeping the full slate of activities to mark the day close to her chest, and told the Jamaica Observer that the details will be released in a timely fashion in the weeks and days closer to July 1.

Traditionally IRD has been a 24-hour virtual celebration showcasing the best of Jamaican music culture and its impact on the global reggae movement from the roots to the branches.

This year virtual performances, play lists, panels, and media specials celebrating Jamaican music culture and its impact globally will be featured online at ireggaeaday.com and IReggaeDay social media platforms including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

“Fans globally will rally around the red, gold and green and fly their reggae colours in recognition of International Reggae Day. Reggae artistes, selectors, content creators, labels, and media representing multiple cities around the world are preparing their specials including in cities such as Kingston, Johannesburg, Lagos, Nairobi, London, Birmingham, Toronto, New York, Atlanta, Nassau, and San Salvador,” said Davis.

Over the past 27 years since its launch in 1994, IRD has highlighted Kingston as the home of Jamaican music and sought to showcase the best of Jamaica’s creative industries, while highlighting the many layers of Jamaica’s music legacy and honouring those who have contributed to the growth and internationalisation of Jamaican music.