Impressions: Images From Rebel Salute

Photos by Martei Korley—

Rebel Salute is Jamaica’s most significant annual reggae festival. While Sting bottles all of its hype into a single night, Sumfest splits its focus between pop and dancehall and Jazz and Blues is something else entirely, Tony Rebel’s gathering sets the tone for the year in reggae and also dancehall. This year’s two-day edition of Rebel Salute (held Jan. 18 and 19 at Richmond Estate in St Ann) was one of the most diverse and star-powered editions yet with performances from Sizzla, Busy Signal, Beres Hammond, Tarrus Riley, Aswad, Chronixx, Richie Spice, I-Wayne, No-Maddz, Protoje, the return of Terror Fabulous and, of course, Tony Rebel and his wife, Queen Ifrika.

Scroll through for Martei Korley’s photo series from Rebel Salute’s Day One, and see the pics from Day Two here.

The Original Don Gorgon Ninjaman strikes a pose with Rootz Underground’s Paul “Scooby” Smith.

No-Maddz touch the stage to great reviews

Dancehall veterans were well represented. Here, Courtney Melody tells the crowd: Dem nuh rough like we!…

…While dancehall legend General Trees cautions against eating donkey meat. Umm, not that we would have anyways…

Etana shows why they call her “The Strong One”

Tony Rebel, barreling through the hits on the festival he has kept since 1994

Dean Fraser added his magnificent touch to the sets of artists including Marcia Griffiths before leading the Blak Soil band for Tarrus Riley’s performance

MCs Ninjaman and Mutabaruka run some jokes

The Queen of reggae, Marcia Griffiths, in duet with the impeccable Lukie D

A rare bird in Jamaican stageshows, Shinehead knows how fe rock

Out of the shadows of dub emerges Aswad’s Drummie Zeb

Aswad, who have not performed in Jamaica for a while, took the time to remind Jamaicans who actually created some of their favorite music including the “Promised Land” riddim. And then killed it with the dub…

Dean Fraser introduces two great drummers: Drummie Zeb and Kirk Bennett

Drummie Zeb, Tony Gad and Dean remember old times

Johnny Osbourne, Drummie Zeb and famed U.K. sound man Blacka Dread share the vibes

The Chairman of the Board arrives

Beres makes his fans’ cups overflow

What can you do to stop a man from trying?

No fence can bar the joy—or block the view

Tarrus Riley turns up the pace, and di place tun up