World's Largest Reggae Label Launches London Exhibition

‘A Reggae Music Journey’ - 40 Years of VP Records

• Free exhibition runs 29th October to 1st November at theJamaican High Commission
• Celebrates the cultural impact of VP Records, home to iconicBritish label Greensleeves records

London, 21 October2019: After40 years of championing some of the greatest musicians in reggae and dancehall,VP Records has announced a celebratory exhibition to showcase their definingrole in bringing reggae and dancehall to the international mainstream.

Fromhumble beginnings as a small record store in Kingston, Jamaica to aninternational powerhouse of reggae and dancehall in Jamaica, New York, theexhibition will chronicle the past 40 years of VP’s history through a ten-piecevisual display and two evenings of panel discussions on the impact of Caribbeanmusic in the UK.

Running29th October through to 1st November, the exhibition will feature spotlights onGreensleeves Records — which VP acquired in 2008 — and reggae legend DennisBrown. It will also detail the development of the label’s pioneeringcompilation series, Reggae Gold, Soca Gold and Strictly the Best.

Meanwhile,the panel discussions will focus on the defining role of Caribbean music in theUK, its place in the streaming era, and tips on how to succeed as an upcomingartist. On Tuesday 29th, Steel Pulse member and principal investigator of theBass Culture Research Unit, Mykaell, Ryley will moderate a panel on the importanceof reggae and dancehall to the UK music scene, featuring Rockers LDN promoterand NTS DJ Bigs as well as Director of Catalogue Development at VP, Carter VanPelt. The following day, music industry expert Paulette Long will lead adiscussion featuring President of VP Records Randy Chin, Radio 1Xtra DJ Seani Band UK Head of Digital at distributor ADA Laura Moat on Caribbean music in thestreaming era.

Commentingon the exhibition, Carter van Pelt said ‘With “A Reggae Music Journey” andwith the box set “Down In Jamaica”, I wanted to put the arc of the VP Recordsstory into perspective, through music and visuals. I hope people gain a newappreciation for how central the Chin family has been to the industry, not justfor the 40+ years of VP Records, but for the 60+ years of Randy's. They have stood the test of time and have an incomparablelegacy in the story of Jamaican music.’

Aspart of the 40th-anniversary celebrations, VP is releasing a commemorative boxset to coincide with the exhibition, featuring 94 tracks from 101 VP andGreensleeves artists including Ini Kamoze, Yellowman, Johnny Osbourne, BeenieMan, Sean Paul, Shaggy, and others. Due for release on 1 November, the box setcontains four 12” singles, four CDs, and four 7” singles, and a 24-page book, includingthe first reissues of some of the most collectable vinyl records in the VPcatalogue such as Freddie McKay’s “Fire Is Burning,” Junior Reid’s “What Do YouKnow,” and Echo Minott’s “Saddest Day.”

About ‘A Reggae Music Journey’
Date: 29 October 2019 - 1st November 2019
Entry times: 11am – 5pm
Location: Jamaican High Commission
1-2 Prince Consort Rd, Kensington, London, SW7 2BZ
Cost: Free

Panels:
Tuesday 29 October (5-8pm) — ‘The Impact of Reggae & Dancehall on the UK Music Scene’ with Mykaell Ryley (moderator), Bigs (Rockers LDN, NTS) and Carter van Pelt (Director of Catalogue Development, VP Records)

Wednesday30 October (5-8pm) — ‘Reggae &Dancehall in the Digital Era’ with Paulette Long (moderator), Seani B (BBCRadio 1Xtra), Randy Chin (President, VP Records) and Laura Moat (UK Head ofDigital, ADA)