QUEEN Ifrica is adding her voice to the raging debate on the origins of reggae music. She recently took to social media to ‘school’ Sean Paul and Ghanaian singer Stonebwoy who claim reggae is from Africa.

“Sean Paul and Stonebwoy, reggae music, dancehall music is indigenous to Jamaica,” she said in a video clip posted to social media last Friday.

“With no apologies to no one pon di face ah di earth. Reggae and dancehall music is indigenous to Jamaica, like Apple Valley is to Apple — Jamaica is Africa’s Apple Valley. I don’t know what the big rush is fi stamp out Jamaica and everything weh Jamaica represent, even for Africa, but I think you guys are ahead of yourselves in what you think you know about Jamaica,” Ifrica continued.

Her comments came after Sean Paul stood in solidarity with the Ghanian dancehall artiste who made the claim in an interview with the Cable Lifestyle magazine. The two were speaking during an Instagram live stream when Sean Paul agreed with Stonebwoy that reggae belongs to Africa.

During Stonebwoy’s interview he said: “Reggae is rooted in the heart of Africa… It doesn’t belong to any Caribbean society from its core. It belongs to Africans and we are enjoying it in diverse ways.”

“Remember that Jamaicans are all Africans by virtue of the slave trade. So, it’s just the music that we’re doing back again…Whether reggae, dancehall, high life, or Afrobeats, they all come from the same source,” he continued.

According to Queen Ifrica, although many Jamaicans are descendants of enslaved Africans, the reggae and dancehall were ‘birthed’ on the island and Africa has no right to claim them.

“Stonebwoy, I’ve always loved you as an artiste but you need to know your history a likkle better. Reggae music was born out of Jamaica, and Jamaica is not a slave island. Jamaica was not created out of slavery; slavery was added to Jamaica by unscrupulous Africans who linked up with the colonial slave trade to sell their brothers and sisters. There were free black people living in Jamaica before slavery. So yes, we can agree that all black people come from Africa, but we just agree that Jamaica has a lot of firsts — and reggae music is one of those first. Reggae music help Africa to be as independent as Africa is today…We all are black, but reggae music and dancehall music come from Jamaica,” she said firmly.

Deeply linked with Rastafari, reggae originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s with its political commentary and religious undertones. The word first came to prominence in a 1968 single titled Do The Reggay by Toots and the Maytals which was the first popular song to use the word reggae, effectively naming the genre and introducing it to a global audience.

Stonebwoy, whose given name is Livingstone Etse Satekla, combines reggae and dancehall with traditional African beats. He is no stranger to Jamaica. The singjay performed at Reggae Sumfest in Catherine Hall, Montego Bay, in 2018.

He has also collaborated with Jamaican artistes and most recently recorded with ”Dancehall King” Beenie Man.