The United Nations has added reggae to a list of international cultural treasures worthy of promotion and protection.
Reggae music which grew out of Jamica and was made popular by the likes of Bob Marley with Peter Tosh was added to the collection due to its intangible cultural heritage. According to UNESCO, “Reggae is cerebral, socio-political, sensual and spiritual”.
Announcing the decision, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO said the genre’s “contribution to international discourse on issues of injustice, resistance, love and humanity underscores the dynamics of the element as being at once cerebral, socio-political, sensual and spiritual.”
The body added that “The basic social functions of the music – as a vehicle for social commentary, a cathartic practice, and a means of praising God – have not changed, and the music continues to act as a voice for all.”
Other cultural traditions which added to the list include a Spanish riding school in Vienna, a Mongolian camel-coaxing ritual and Egyptian puppetry.