April Jackson

Reggae music: the soundtrack of paradise, born from protest.

I’m all the way in the Maldives at a luxury resort, thousands of miles from home, and what’s playing by the pool? Reggae. And it’s not just Bob Marley. It’s deep cuts and artists you’d only expect to hear on a sound system in Kingston.

This is what gets me. Reggae came out of struggle. It was the music of resistance, of speaking truth to power, of a people demanding to be heard. Now that same sound is what the whole world reaches for when they want to feel sunshine, freedom and peace. From Bali to Thailand to the Maldives, wherever someone builds paradise, Jamaican music is playing.

One tiny island in the Caribbean, and we’re still shaping global culture: music, food, language, style. Tell me how anyone can deny that Jamaica is the greatest island in the world. I’ll wait.

Our global influence makes me so proud. Where in the world have you heard reggae somewhere you didn’t expect? Tell me in the comments.

My Darling, You’re Welcome

#jamaican #themaldives #reggae #islandlife #beach