Come Saturday, February 10, 2024, in celebration of Reggae Month, the story of the Caribbean’s most prolific music genre will be presented to South Florida in a bold new way.

The inaugural historical retrospective and concert event Reggae Genealogy – The Origins, Evolution and Influence of Jamaican Music, produced by Island SPACE Caribbean Museum, will be presented in the city of Plantation, Florida.

A blend of entertainment and education, this event will showcase live performances, archival video elements, and contemporary narratives for a fully immersive experience.

Reggae Genealogy will take place in the north-east parking lot of the Broward Mall.

This event is presented in partnership with Broward Mall and made possible in part by the support of the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Broward County Cultural Division, “King” George Jograj, Dr Lydia Malcolm of Authentic Behavioural Health LLC and her husband Waynewright Malcolm, and the following funds at the Community Foundation of Broward: Judith Cornfeld Fund for the Arts, Helen and Frank Stoykov Charitable Endowment Fund, The Frederick A DeLuca Foundation, Broward Community Fund, and Samuel F Morrison Community Impact Fund.

The three-hour showcase will trace the early beginnings of popular Jamaican music prior to Jamaica’s Independence from Britain in 1962 to the present, touching on mento, ska, Nyabinghi, rocksteady, lover’s rock, dub, reggae, and dancehall.

Performances will also highlight the influence of Jamaican music on genres such as hip hop, reggaeton, EDM, and Afrobeats.

To execute the inaugural staging of Reggae Genealogy, Island SPACE has assembled an experienced team of experts in reggae music history, event production, and business. The team includes Lloyd Stanbury, one of the founders of Reggae Month; and of the first Jamaican all-reggae radio station, IRIE FM; Calibe Thompson and David I Muir, the former producers of The Taste the Islands Experience culinary festival, and co-founders of Island SPACE. Other team members include authors, documentarians, television and video producers, and radio personalities.

The gates open at 4:30 pm with showtime at 6:00 pm.