Bill Text: NY J00110 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Recognizing July 1, 2023, as International Reggae Day
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-01-10 - ADOPTED [J00110 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-J00110-Introduced.html
Senate Resolution No. 110 BY: Senator PARKER RECOGNIZING July 1, 2023, as International Reggae Day WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body, in keeping with its time-honored traditions, to celebrate certain days which foster ethnic pride and enhance the profile of cultural diversity which strengthens the fabric of the communities of New York State; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to recognize July 1, 2023, as International Reggae Day; and WHEREAS, International Reggae Day is an annual event held in Kingston, Jamaica, and is dedicated to celebrating this style of music that entered the world in a sleepy little island country in the Caribbean; on this day, thousands of fans and musicians come from all over the world to gather and celebrate the amazing history of reggae; and WHEREAS, It took some time, but reggae eventually exploded to touch every corner of the world with its unusual and attractive, relaxed style; and WHEREAS, Originally born out of Ska and rocksteady genres of music in the 1960s, reggae quickly gained distinction with its unpolished sound and strong dependence on rhythm; it took a few years as a grassroots movement before it began expanding far beyond its little originating island; and WHEREAS, Reggae became particularly popular in English-speaking nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia; and WHEREAS, Reggae became a powerful style of music with deep roots and since then its influence has never really stopped growing; and WHEREAS, The style of reggae has definitely made its mark and spread wide, with tons of different styles and variations popping up; and WHEREAS, One of these variations includes a type of poetry called Dub Poetry, which is West Indian Poetry that is then synced up with amazing reggae beats to create a musical poetry style all its own; and WHEREAS, Some of the most popular reggae artists include Bob Marley and his band, The Wailers; he has often been hailed as one of the pioneers of the reggae movement, and together they released 11 albums in their active years from 1973 to 1981; and WHEREAS, Another well-known artist, Jimmy Cliff, who is best known in mainstream circles for "Wonderful World, Beautiful People", has released approximately 30 albums and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010; and WHEREAS, A third artist who was one of the original members of The Wailers, was Peter Tosh who later became a solo artist and a promoter of the religious movement, Rastafari; he had more than 14 reggae albums to his name before his tragic death in 1987; and WHEREAS, According to Andrea Davis, Founder/Producer of International Reggae Day, reggae music is special not only because of its distinct sound but also because it has the power to inspire change and it continues to be an important voice in times like these when the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to recognize July 1, 2023, as International Reggae Day; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Andrea Davis.