After the break due to COVID, Rebel Salute with Stonebwoy from Ghana is set to return to Grizzly’s Plantation Cove on January 20-21, 2023. The event features several booths and a jam-packed line-up of performers. The event organizer, Tony Rebel, told the Sunday Gleaner that this year’s staging will be memorable and should not be missed.
This year we are featuring Stonebwoy out of Ghana and Dynamq from South Sudan,” said Rebel. He explained the significance of “having two Africans here in the house.” “It shouldn’t matter where you come from; if you are a black man, you are African. For example, if a cow gave birth to a calf inside a goat pen, that does not make the calf a kid. We know that we were brought to the Western Hemisphere as slaves, and even though most were transported through the Middle Passage, some came on their own and lived here. We have to keep the connection going. We are one people, and it is one music, one God, one aim, one destiny, so we have to make sure we keep that going at all times,” he explained.
Tony Rebel
A diverse line-up has always been a part of Rebel Salute. But as the music world turns its attention and spotlight to the Afrobeats genre, it appears Dancehall and Reggae artists are getting nervous. Hence, there is constant debate about whether the rise of the Afrobeats genre has tempered the relevance of reggae and dancehall music internationally. But, according to Rebel, both genres are acceptable where they are, and there is room for everyone.
“Every sound has its time and is from the sixties Fela Kuti a deal wid [Afrobeat], enuh. Burna Boy and these guys just recently started to do it, but that kind of sound has always existed, so it is time for them to reach out on top. Reggae has been out there, and dancehall has been out there, so it just means that Afrobeats come and catch us up. It does not mean that one is better. Or one is sinking the other. The Afrobeats artists still do reggae and dancehall, and we do Afrobeats too. It’s just one music. None is better than the other. But one is more current and is getting the highlight shone on it more than the other in recent years, and that is okay,” Rebel explained.
Tony Rebel
Like many promoters nowadays, Rebel revealed that nailing down sponsors presented a few challenges. Still, he was content that he and his team made the best of what they had. And are hoping that things go off without any glitches. He did not hesitate to assure the public that he and his team had pulled all the stops to ensure the show’s success. Rebel also confirmed that the booths have been sold out.