What is International Reggae Day really about?

Who owns reggae?

Who controls reggae music today?

Has Jamaica remained at the center of its own cultural creation, or has something been lost along the way?

Those questions became the foundation of this special Reggae Hour podcast.

Host Mr. E, together with Zionya and Judah Lion, reflects on the conversations recorded during International Reggae Day with artists and cultural ambassadors from around the world.

Featuring insights from:

• Anthony Brightly (Black Slate) — 54 years in reggae, challenging us to remember what reggae truly represents.

• Don Dada (Menelik Nesta Gibbons) — discussing mentorship, artist ownership, Pan-African unity, and refusing to trade one master for another.

• Iyagrade — reflecting on identity, Black pride, diaspora responsibility, and why reggae must remain rooted while reaching the world.

• Kleva Roots — sharing the importance of conscious music, spiritual vibration, and preserving reggae as a cultural lighthouse.

• Leroy Scarlett — continuing the conversation on reggae's legacy, community, and where the movement goes from here.

This is not simply a celebration of International Reggae Day.

It is a conversation about cultural memory.

A conversation about ownership.

A conversation about responsibility.

And perhaps most importantly...

A conversation about whether reggae's future is still in the hands of the people who created it.

Featured Interviews & Articles

Anthony Brightly (Black Slate)

https://www.reggaehour.com/2026/07/anthony-brightly-of-black-slate-is.html

Don Dada (Menelik Nesta Gibbons)

https://www.reggaehour.com/2026/06/international-reggae-day-special.html

Iyagrade Interview

https://www.youtube.com/live/xi6HfRU074Q?si=y9Q5gE0cstBdWyrp

Kleva Roots Interview

https://www.youtube.com/live/akDrxtIpgFU?si=ZgpndaCkWPVMnZtb

Leroy Scarlett Returns to Reggae Hour

https://www.reggaehour.com/2026/07/leroy-scarlett-returns-to-reggae-hour.html

Read More at Reggae Hour

🌍 Website: https://www.reggaehour.com

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🎙️ More interviews, reggae history, artist features, and cultural documentaries are published regularly on Reggae Hour.

Join the Conversation

What does International Reggae Day mean to you?

Who owns reggae?

Can a culture remain authentic while becoming global?

Leave your thoughts in the comments and become part of the Reggae Hour archive.

If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about reggae history, Rastafari, Africa, Black cultural memory, and conscious music, be sure to follow, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who loves reggae.

One Love.

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🍍 Enjoy the Good Vibes

Whether you're listening to your favorite reggae playlist, spending time with friends, or celebrating International Reggae Day, Good Feels offers cannabis-infused beverages and related products for adults where legally available.

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Some links shared by Reggae Hour may be affiliate links. This means that if you purchase a product or service through those links, Reggae Hour may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. These commissions help support our independent journalism, historical research, interviews, educational content, and the continued preservation of reggae culture. We only recommend products and services that we believe provide value to our audience. Thank you for supporting Reggae Hour and helping us preserve reggae's legacy for future generations.

In this special Reggae Hour Podcast conversation recorded during International Reggae Day, Mr. E sits down with Jamaican-born, Toronto-based reggae artist Iyagrade for a wide-ranging discussion about identity, conscious music, reggae culture, the African diaspora, resilience, and why artists have a responsibility to leave a legacy.

Iyagrade shares the deeper meaning behind his name, explaining that it represents Higher Upliftment and reflects his mission to create music that is positive, healing, educational, and rooted in purpose. Rather than chasing trends, he discusses blending reggae with hip hop while remaining true to his Jamaican identity and cultural foundation.

The conversation explores:

• The message behind Proud To Be Black
• Why reggae is a vehicle for healing and resilience
• Building on the legacy left by previous generations
• The importance of knowing your roots
• Jamaica's influence on Canada's reggae community
• Black identity across the global diaspora
• Why unity is stronger than division
• How every person's talent contributes to preserving culture
• Creating music that motivates people instead of simply entertaining them
• Why conscious reggae still matters in today's world

One of the most memorable moments comes when Iyagrade reflects on the importance of using individual talents to serve others. Inspired by a speech from Lauryn Hill, he argues that broadcasters, artists, photographers, and creators each have a role in preserving culture and making history together rather than competing against one another.

He also discusses why his music focuses on uplifting listeners, carrying messages of resilience, and encouraging people to know their history while continuing to build upon the foundation laid by previous generations.

This episode is part of Reggae Hour's ongoing mission to preserve reggae history through conversations with today's artists while documenting tomorrow's cultural archive.

Topics Covered

• Iyagrade Interview
• Proud To Be Black
• Conscious Reggae
• International Reggae Day
• Black Identity
• Jamaican Culture
• Canadian Reggae
• Reggae Music
• African Diaspora
• Legacy Building
• Healing Through Music
• Roots Reggae
• Conscious Music
• Independent Reggae Artists
• Reggae Hour Podcast

Subscribe to Reggae Hour

If you believe reggae is more than entertainment and serves as history, healing, education, and resistance, subscribe to Reggae Hour and join us as we preserve the voices shaping reggae culture for future generations.

Every interview is another chapter in the living archive.

One Love. One Voice. One Culture. One Legacy.

But what happens next?

Mr. E, Judah Lion, and Zionya explore Juneteenth, liberation, culture, history, and the responsibility we owe future generations.

LONG DESCRIPTION

Freedom was won.

But what happens next?

In this special Juneteenth 2026 edition of Reggae Hour, Mr. E, Judah Lion, and Zionya take listeners on a journey through history, culture, identity, community, and responsibility.

Through thoughtful discussion, humor, reflection, and reggae music, the panel examines the legacy of Juneteenth and asks what freedom truly means in today's world.

Topics include:

• Freedom vs Liberation

• Juneteenth and Emancipation

• Historical Memory

• African American History

• Economic Empowerment

• Cultural Preservation

• Community Responsibility

• Building for Future Generations

• Reggae as Resistance

• Identity and Self Determination

Featuring music from:

• Burning Spear

• Chronixx

• Protoje

• Third World

• Culture

Featured Voices:

Mr. E

Judah Lion

Zionya

Read the companion article:

https://www.reggaehour.com/2026/06/juneteenth-freedom-was-won-what-happens.html

Freedom was won.

The work continues.

Listen.

Learn.

Reflect.

Act.

CATEGORY

Society & Culture

SUBCATEGORY

History

SECONDARY CATEGORY

Music Commentary

KEYWORDS

Juneteenth,

Juneteenth 2026,

African American History,

African Diaspora,

Black History,

Freedom,

Liberation,

Reggae Podcast,

History Podcast,

Marcus Garvey,

Burning Spear,

Chronixx,

Protoje,

Third World,

Culture,

Community,

Identity,

Self Determination,

Reggae Hour

EPISODE TAGLINE

Freedom Won.

What Happens Next?

It lives in memory.

It lives in culture.

And sometimes, it lives in music.

In Season 2 Episode 5, Mr. E and Zionya travel back to a pivotal moment in Jamaican history to explore the rise of ska—the energetic, optimistic sound that laid the foundation for rocksteady, reggae, and everything that followed.

As Jamaica moved toward independence, questions of freedom, identity, dignity, and self-determination were being asked throughout the Caribbean and across the world. In that environment, a new sound emerged.

A sound that reflected hope.

A sound that reflected movement.

A sound that reflected Jamaica itself.

Together, we explore how global events, local culture, sound systems, and the aspirations of a young nation combined to create one of the most important musical movements in modern history.

IN THIS EPISODE

🎺 The origins of ska

🇯🇲 Jamaica's journey toward independence

🌍 The global climate of the 1950s and 1960s

✊ Freedom, dignity, and self-determination

🔊 Sound system culture

🎵 The foundation of rocksteady and reggae

📖 Why music reflects historical moments

🦁 How culture preserves memory

FEATURED MUSIC

🎵 Prince Buster – Madness

🎵 Additional selections highlighting the evolution of Jamaica's early sound

WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS

Most people know reggae.

Far fewer understand the world that made reggae possible.

To understand reggae, we must first understand ska.

Because every sound carries the fingerprints of the people who created it.

READ THE COMPANION ARTICLE

📖 Read more at:

https://www.reggaehour.com

FOLLOW REGGAE HOUR

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COMMENT PROMPT

What is the most important ingredient in reggae's story: Ska, Rocksteady, or Reggae itself?

Let us know below.

Artists like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Burning Spear used music as education, healing, and cultural preservation.

But as Jamaica changed, the music changed too.

Dancehall emerged with new rhythms, new energy, and a new voice for a new generation.

Some say reggae lost its soul.

Others believe dancehall is simply reggae evolving.

In Season 2 Episode 4, Mr. E and Zionya tackle one of the biggest debates in Jamaican music:

Did reggae lose its soul—or are we misunderstanding the role dancehall plays in modern culture?

Together they explore how roots reggae shaped generations, why dancehall emerged, what was gained, what may have been lost, and why conscious music remains more important than ever.

IN THIS EPISODE

🎵 Roots Reggae and Rastafari foundations

🔥 The rise of Dancehall culture

🌍 Music as cultural identity

🦁 Bob Marley, Peter Tosh & Burning Spear's legacy

🎤 Yellowman, Shabba Ranks & Dancehall evolution

💭 Consciousness vs entertainment

📖 Why younger generations are rediscovering roots music

🇯🇲 Jamaica's cultural influence on the world

🎙️ Whether dancehall is truly the "lost prince" trying to find its way home

KEY QUESTION

Roots reggae taught spirituality, unity, resistance, and community.

Dancehall brought energy, creativity, rebellion, and new forms of expression.

Can both exist together?

Can the culture evolve without losing its foundation?

That is the reasoning in this episode.

READ THE COMPANION ARTICLE

📖 Read the full article:

Roots vs Dancehall: Did Reggae Lose Its Soul?

https://www.reggaehour.com/2026/05/dignity-stories-what-reggae-has-always.html

FOLLOW REGGAE HOUR

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📺 YouTube

Did reggae lose its soul—or is dancehall simply reggae evolving for a new generation?

Drop your country and your answer below.

Artificial intelligence is changing how people work, learn, communicate, and even remember.

But beneath every technological revolution lies a deeper question:

What happens when humanity becomes secondary to efficiency?

In Season 2 Episode 3, Mr. E and Zionya explore the relationship between dignity, historical memory, identity, and technology.

This is not a conversation about gadgets.

It is a conversation about people.

Together they examine how history is preserved, whose stories are remembered, how cultures survive, and why human dignity must remain at the center of every technological future.

IN THIS EPISODE

✓ Artificial Intelligence and cultural memory

✓ Why Black history must be preserved

✓ Technology versus humanity

✓ The value of truth in the digital age

✓ Identity, dignity and cultural survival

✓ Reggae as a tool of consciousness

✓ Historical memory as resistance

✓ What future generations may inherit

WHY THIS CONVERSATION MATTERS

History can be forgotten.

Culture can be erased.

Memory can be manipulated.

But dignity begins when people choose to remember who they are.

This episode asks difficult questions about progress, identity, and the responsibility we all share in preserving truth.

CONTINUE THE REASONING

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Can technology preserve culture, or can only people do that?

Share your thoughts and join the reasoning.

After the response to our discussion on the African roots of reggae, listeners from around the world shared their thoughts, questions, agreements, and disagreements. In this episode, Mr. E and Zionya return to the reasoning circle to examine those responses and explore a deeper question:

Where does reggae truly come from—and why does that answer matter?

From Africa's spiritual and rhythmic foundations to Jamaica's role as the birthplace of reggae music, this episode explores history, culture, identity, resistance, and the global influence that helped shape one of the world's most powerful musical movements.

This is not a debate about ownership.

It is a conversation about understanding the journey.

Together, we examine:

🌍 Africa's influence on rhythm, spirituality, and cultural memory

🇯🇲 Jamaica's transformation of those influences into reggae music

🎵 The role of sound systems, Rastafari, and social commentary

🗣 Listener comments and community perspectives

📚 Why understanding origins helps preserve culture

🔥 The importance of respectful dialogue within the reggae community

Whether you agreed with our original discussion or challenged it, this episode is for everyone who believes reggae is more than music—it is a living expression of history, consciousness, and identity.

Read the Companion Article

📖 Africa, Jamaica & The Reggae Debate: Listener Responses and Deeper Origins

https://www.reggaehour.com

Follow Reggae Hour

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Support the Movement

If you enjoy these conversations:

⭐ Follow the podcast

⭐ Leave a review

⭐ Share this episode with a reggae lover

⭐ Join the reasoning in the comments

Can reggae exist without Africa? Can reggae exist without Jamaica? Or are both inseparable parts of the same story?

Let us know your thoughts.

It is the result of generations of cultural memory carried across oceans, transformed through struggle, adaptation, and creativity.

In this Origins episode, Reggae Hour explores the historical journey from Africa to Jamaica, tracing the development of mento, ska, rocksteady, and reggae while examining the influences that helped shape the music.

Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how African traditions, American musical forms, and Caribbean realities combined to create one of the most influential genres in modern history.

If you've ever wondered where reggae really came from, this episode is for you.

In this Reggae Hour Archives interview, Bascom X joins Mr. E for a thoughtful conversation about reggae music, cultural responsibility, mentorship, and the role artists play in shaping society.

Topics include:

• The story behind "Bad Boy"

• Growing up in Jamaican music culture

• Mentoring Gyptian

• Reggae vs. Dancehall

• Why message music matters

• Artist development

• Authenticity in music

• The future of reggae

Bascom X reminds us that while sounds may change, the message remains.

📖 Read the companion article:

https://www.reggaehour.com/2026/06/bascom-x-explains-why-reggae-is-root-of.html

🎙️ Watch more Reggae Hour Archive interviews and subscribe for reggae history, artist interviews, roots culture, and conscious conversations.

One People.

One Planet.

One Love.

#BascomX

#ReggaeHour

#ReggaePodcast

#JamaicanMusic

#RootsReggae

#ConsciousMusic

#Gyptian

#ReggaeCulture

Known for songs like Heartbreak Anniversary and Leave The Door Open, Anthony discusses his musical journey, inspirations, industry experiences, and what continues to motivate him as an artist.

Topics include:

• Heartbreak Anniversary

• Leave The Door Open

• Reggae music and authenticity

• Building a lasting career

• Musical influences

• Industry experiences

• The future of reggae

• Advice for upcoming artists

Whether you're a longtime Anthony Cruz fan or discovering his music for the first time, this interview provides valuable insight into the mindset and journey of a dedicated reggae artist.

🎙️ Subscribe to Reggae Hour for interviews, reggae history, artist spotlights, and conscious conversations.

One People.

One Planet.

One Love.

#AnthonyCruz

#ReggaeHour

#HeartbreakAnniversary

#JamaicanMusic

#ReggaeInterview

#RootsReggae

#ReggaePodcast

Jamaican recording artist Althea Hewitt joins Mr. E on Reggae Hour for a thoughtful conversation about creativity, songwriting, perseverance, family, and the journey of a life dedicated to music.

In this archive interview, Althea discusses her song "You're The Only One," her album Moving Forward, the challenges artists faced during the COVID era, and the importance of staying inspired even when success feels far away.

Topics include:

• Songwriting and creativity

• Building a career in music

• Family and inspiration

• Perseverance through difficult times

• The impact of COVID on artists

• The importance of positive thinking

• The upcoming Moving Forward album

• Althea Hewitt's musical journey

This conversation is a reminder that success often belongs to those who refuse to quit.

🎙️ Subscribe for more Reggae Hour interviews, reggae history, Jamaican culture, and conscious conversations.

One People.

One Planet.

One Love.

#AltheaHewitt

#ReggaeHour

#JamaicanMusic

#Reggae

#MusicInterview

#Songwriting

#ReggaePodcast

Reflecting on the influence of his brother Garnet Silk, Aaron shares how music became a vehicle for encouragement, faith, and service to the people. He discusses the responsibility that comes with a voice, the importance of remaining humble, and why positive energy remains central to his message.

Topics include:

• The legacy of Garnet Silk

• Music as a spiritual responsibility

• Positivity in difficult times

• Faith, purpose, and perseverance

• The role of reggae as education and upliftment

• Finding strength through life experiences

• Using music to comfort and inspire

One reflection that defines this conversation:

"I'm just here with a voice to comfort people and teach and preach."

This episode is part of the Reggae Hour Archive — preserving the voices, stories, and reasoning that continue to shape reggae culture.

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🎙️ REGGAE HOUR ARCHIVE

Preserving the voices, stories, and reasoning that continue to shape reggae culture.

▶ Origins Series:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4dIBvDlXWOC9_jw3UQwrhk7-GPnp6L7V

📺 YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@ReggaeHourPodcast

🌍 Follow Reggae Hour for more conversations exploring reggae history, roots culture, and conscious music.

💬 What did reggae teach you?

One Love.

Reggae Hour

In this powerful conversation, Blazem shares his journey into Rastafari, the influence of the Bobo Shanti order, and the responsibility of creating conscious reggae music in today's world.

Guided by Rastafari principles since the age of fourteen, Blazem reflects on spirituality, discipline, righteousness, and the role reggae music plays in educating and uplifting the people.

Topics include:

• Rastafari as a way of life

• The influence of elder Rasta mentors

• Bobo Shanti teachings and spiritual discipline

• Conscious reggae versus commercial trends

• Guidance for today's youth

• The importance of scripture, culture, and purpose

• Preserving reggae's message in modern times

One of the strongest reflections from this conversation:

"Righteousness is a must."

This episode is part of the Reggae Hour Archive — preserving the voices, stories, and reasoning that continue to shape reggae culture.

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🎙️ REGGAE HOUR ARCHIVE

Preserving the voices, stories, and reasoning that continue to shape reggae culture.

▶ Origins Series:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4dIBvDlXWOC9_jw3UQwrhk7-GPnp6L7V

📺 YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@ReggaeHourPodcast

🌍 Follow Reggae Hour for more conversations exploring reggae history, roots culture, and conscious music.

💬 What did reggae teach you?

One Love.

Reggae Hour

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