Kingston Creative hosted a packed and passionate Creative Meetup on August 8, which tackling the provocative question ‘Is Reggae Dead?‘.

The event, held at Kingston Creative’s hub in downtown Kingston, brought together a powerhouse panel of cultural experts and music practitioners to dissect the state of Jamaica’s most iconic cultural export.

The discussion featured renowned cultural scholar Dr Carolyn Cooper, author and ‘Reggae Revival’ pioneer Gavin ‘Dutty Bookman’ Hutchinson, and alternative-reggae artiste Tom Jones ‘Panic’. The panel reframed the title not as a literal question, but as an entry point to a deeper reflection on the evolution, global ownership, commercial relevance, and spiritual essence of reggae music today.

The conversation explored the complex duality of reggae’s current status: its designation as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and Kingston’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Music, contrasted with a perceived decline in its quality and presence within Jamaica itself.

Pan!c stated, “There’s no way reggae can be dead. I look at music in the same way we look at colors… You have primary colors, and you have primary genres. Reggae is a primary genre. There’s lots of genres that’s the derivative of reggae that’s even thriving today.

Cooper stated that “ Reggae is not dead but reggae is not the music of today’s youth. Reggae is like mento to young people of my generation. To today’s youth reggae is old people’s music. Reggae is not going to die as long as you have people creating reggae, but it is not going to be the music of this generation.”

Panellists addressed the genre’s visibility on local radio, at parties, and in the daily lives of Jamaicans. A significant portion of the discussion focused on the global versus local dynamic, questioning why reggae often appears to thrive more in international markets like Europe and Asia while local artists struggle for infrastructure and support.

The conversation also touched on the influence of genres like reggaeton and Afrobeats, debating whether they overshadow reggae or help keep Jamaican-originated music globally relevant.

Gavin ‘Dutty Bookman’ Hutchinson mentioned that, “Reggae music is always being made, it’s never gonna stop being made. Reggae is dead in us as the people. In the national landscape the people were not following reggae as much, the radio stations weren’t playing the nice, clean Reggae. Reggae is not dead, in terms of the production of it. Reggae is dead when it comes on to the people.” 

The final segment of the evening was solutions-focused, with the panel proposing practical steps to strengthen the local reggae ecosystem. Topics included fostering the genre among Jamaican youth, improving industry infrastructure, and identifying the key artists and movements that are successfully evolving the sound. The discussion concluded with each panelist offering a powerful call to action on what it would take for reggae to feel “truly alive again in Jamaica.”

With a beautiful performance by up-and-coming reggae artiste Rivah, in addition to delicious sweet treats by creations by Chelle, drinks from Bottega Jamaica and vendors such as Irie Steppings in attendance for curious attendees to do a little shopping, the meetup proved to once again be the place to be on a Friday night.

The event drew a capacity crowd of creatives, musicians, and culture enthusiasts, with many more tuning in via a livestream from the venue. Kingston Creative continues to foster these crucial conversations as part of its mission to develop the creative economy.