KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA) has renewed its partnership with the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) for Reggae Month 2025.

The college says the collaboration marks a homecoming, bringing JaRIA’s signature Reggae Wednesdays back to EMCVPA, “the very heart of Jamaica’s artistic excellence”.

The Reggae Month festivities continue on Wednesday, February 5 with “Saluting the Queens” a tribute to women in reggae. The concert will be held at the School of Drama Amphitheatre from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Its line-up includes reggae legend Nadine Sutherland, rising star Joby Jay and internationally acclaimed singer Racquel Jones of Thievery Corporation.

The partnership echoes the early years of Reggae Month when EMCVPA hosted JaRIA’s ground-breaking events and has already seen great success with a Dennis Brown Tribute Concert and last week’s Reggae Open University seminar.

“At Edna, we are not just hosting Reggae Month — we are living it,” said interim principal Dorrett Campbell.

“We are thrilled that JaRIA has renewed our partnership and returned many of its Reggae Month activities to our space. We have placed a high premium on this partnership; as the hub driver and enabler of the Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica and the English-Speaking Caribbean, we at EDNA are committed to continue the business of nurturing talent, working with the creative industry, and preserving Jamaica’s rich musical legacy.”

“The connection is deeply rooted in the legacy of the late Kingsley Michael ‘Ibo’ Cooper, renowned musician, educator, and co-founder of both JaRIA and Reggae Month. Cooper, a dedicated EMCVPA lecturer for 24 years, continues to inspire Jamaica’s cultural landscape,” the college said.

EMCVPA is the official home for JaRIA’s Reggae Wednesdays concerts, with one exception: the February 12 event will be held in Montego Bay, St James.

However, EMCVPA will provide a live stream of this staging.

The public is invited to experience the dynamic Reggae Month 2025 events at the college and witness the electrifying synergy of education and entertainment.