Environmental group Eco-Conscious Citizens is working with BBM/BMC (BritishBlackMusic.com/Black Music Congress) to mark International Reggae Day (IRD) in Ghana by planting The Reggae Tree Accra on July 1 at the KB Memorial Park near the Melcom superstore at Nmai Dzorn, in the Accra municipality of Adentan.
The planting ceremony was supposed to be led by reggae star and UN Environment Ambassador Rocky Dawuni, but because of work commitments in the US, he will contribute via a pre-recorded message.
The planting ceremony will be officiated by the Jamaican Consul, the chief executive of the Adentan Municipality, and representatives of the South African High Commission and the Nmai Dzorn traditional family. Dawuni is the IRD Ghana Ambassador, and his ‘Shade Tree’ single will provide the soundtrack, as will selected tracks from the IRD UK 2024 Recommended Album, which is VP Records’ ‘Reggae Mandela’ compilation album.
International Reggae Day is an annual July 1 global fest that celebrates Jamaican reggae and culture. This year marks its 30th anniversary. It was founded in 1994 in Jamaica by Andrea M Davis. Her inspiration was a speech in Kingston, Jamaica in 1991, where Winnie Mandela spoke of the encouragement reggae gave to her compatriots as they fought the apartheid system.
The Reggae Tree is a symbolic nod to IRD’s Tree Planting Challenge, which is endorsed by Eco-Conscious Citizens. The environmental group’s partner organisation, BBM/BMC, planted The Reggae Tree in London in 2018. It’s sited in Harlesden, the north-west London area that is the capital of reggae in Britain.
IRD2024 celebrates the 30th anniversary of the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994, highlights the importance of reggae to the fight against apartheid in South Africa and the unbreakable bond between Jamaica and South Africa, which is mirrored by the unbreakable bond between International Reggae Day and its original inspiration – South Africa’s Mama Winnie Mandela.
The other partners in the tree planting ceremony, which is from 11am to 1pm, are JamRock Restaurant & Grill, FoodEeez Corner and La Villa Boutique Hotel. There will be a mini-bus from the Osu-based hotel. Journalists who would like to avail themeselves of a ride to and from the park should contact Eco-Conscious Citizens coodinator Awula Serwah.
During the event, Eco-Conscious Citizens will also launch a plastic bottle recycle bank to raise awareness of Plastic Free July, which is a global movement that encourages individuals to reduce their single-use plastic consumption for the month of July. The group is asking stores to give their customers the choice of buying non-plastic reusable bags, instead of the free, throw-away single-use plastic bags.
