International dancehall superstar Sean Paul is set to headline the 30th anniversary of Rebel Salute set for January 19 and 20, 2024. The announcement was made by organizer of the event Tony Rebel on Friday during an interview with Entertainment Report on TVJ with Anthony Miller and Sean will ignite the stage on Saturday night.
The Heartbeat productions CEO also shared ahead of the official launch of the event this week that Third World will make a return to the Rebel Salute stage next year. Sean is the most streamed Jamaican on Spotify and YouTube with over 10 billion and 5 billion streams respectively across his catalog. Before Rebel Salute Sean is set to perform in Dubai alongside rapper T.I. at the Coca-Cola Arena on December 30.
The hitmaker hardly performs at major concerts in Jamaica although he waves the Jamaican flag the highest whoever he goes. The last full Sean Paul performance on the island was in 2021 at the Dreamstage’s virtual platform where he did songs from his Live N Livin album for an online audience.
The Weekend Lover reggae star told WMV that for the 30th anniversary staging there will be 30 acts, 15 performances each night, a reduction in half the size of last year’s billing.
The crowd pulling show which has become a staple for the international reggae community round about Tony Rebel’s birthday each year returns to its home at the Grizzly’s Plantation Cove in St. Ann, Jamaica.
“Rebel Salute was started on the 14th of January 1994 and it started out of the commemoration of my Earth Day,” Tony Rebel told WMV.
Among the stars to have performed at Rebel Salute over the years include Stephen Marley, Collie Buddz, and Garnet Silk who died the year after the first show. Damian Marley, Buju Banton, Sizzla, Captleton, were also past headliners. Others like Chronixx and Koffee became known from their performances at the annual festival.
The Grants Pen singer’s breakout single “Born Fighter” was the most streamed song on YouTube in Jamaica last year.
The Rastafarian lifestyle event cost over US$500,000 to stage each event with 49% percent of the patrons coming from overseas according to Tony Rebel. “For one night they don’t eat meat, the eat the indigenous products of Jamaica,” he says.
The event is heavily dependent on local sponsors but since the declared Nazarite’s does not consume alcohol, he has eliminated beer companies who have the big budgets from becoming sponsors.
“The Sponsors they help to cut certain budgets for us, but because of how we are situated in Jamaica, the alcoholic companies are the ones who spend the money, and we are into a healthier lifestyle and the healthier lifestyle has less money so its difficult to get through Rebel Salute but we do it every year,” said the Manchester native.
“We generate over a billion dollars, with the hotel industry over the two night period, the sight seeing, the attractions, the AirBnBs, restaurants, transportation companies, is over a billion dollars.”
Tickers for this year’s Rebel Salute may be purchased at www.rebelsalutejamaica.com.
