25 Years of the Largest Community Event in Cape Town
The Lotus River Rastafari Community in conjunction with the Sons of Selassie Band will be celebrating 25 years of Reggae ina Park on Saturday January 14, 2023. It is expected to be bigger and has reported the largest audience in its 24 years running. The event has become the most anticipated Reggae event and has grown into the biggest Community event of the year.
We are so proud to be the hosting band together with Lotus River Rastafari Community. This Community event brings together people\communities around the Cape Flats and inter Provincial Communities. It was Artists who created this platform which has now turned into the biggest gathering of Rastafari events on the calendar in South Africa. ~ Bro Manchi of the Sons of Selassie
Reggae ina Park is a community event that is also supported by the Cape Town Reggae fraternity. Most Cape Town based artists are happy and proud to be part of this event, the line up is always so colourful. Sons of Selassie. Selacity Band from Nigeria, Crosby Bolani, Bliksemstraal, Daddy Spencer, Teba Shumba, Anela Jahmena, Youth Musical Project, Judge Supreme. Conquerors Reggae Band, Heart and Soul, Triple Crown, Reggae Afrika Soundsystem, Bashmouth Sound, Jah Link, Ghetto Warriors, Jah khongo, Jah Asha, Spyda Strings, Yagga Flames, Jah Lyrix are some of the names that have pass through Reggae ina Park and most are expected to be back on the bill for 2023.
The staging of this year’s event is also an invitation to the Department of Arts and Culture. The organisers are iniviting the the department to officially recognise the work the Rasta Community has done over the years to clean up the area and get the youth off the streets through musical projects that culminate every year with a concert: Reggae ina Park. The recipe and success of this event can be extended to other areas. But the bigger aim of the organisers is to take the concert to Cape Town City Centre Park. It will have a larger and broader audience there and the artists will get a bigger platform and gain new audiences. Reggae is an intricate part of Cape Town, whether the City acknowledges it or not, Reggae has always been part of the musical tapestry of Cape Town. The municipality needs to step up and recognise this.
The recognition of the event works towards encouraging the Tourism revenue to stream into the impoverished Cape Flats. Cape Town is a tourist attraction and destination but the marginalised communities never benefit from it, the money from Tourism is only enjoyed by the elite and their businesses. With this community event that has been running for over two decades without any hassles or violence breaking out, only good stories coming out of it; the community is ready to welcome tourists and this can benefit the entire community.
The event and the initiative has brought a lot of positive changes within the community. People look up to Rasta with respect, for what they have done and continue doing. They look to Rasta to help resolve domestic issues, they bring their youth to Rasta for discipline, but more importantly they look forward to Reggae inna Park Festival, where it is all ital and the music is love.
Reggae inna Park will take place on 14 January 2023 at Lotus Park in Rietbok Avenue, Cape Town. Entry in Free. Click here to go to photos gallery of Reggae inna Park 2016.
For more information about Reggae inna Park, visit the Facebook page here.