The late Clint O’Neil will be the inaugural recipient of the South Florida Reggae Pioneer Award as part of the 2005 South Florida Family Reggae Festival scheduled to take place Sunday, October 30th at the Coconut Grove Convention Center in Miami.
The festival will be headlined by Reggae music legends, the Grammy Award-winning group, Third World, and “The First Lady of Reggae,” Marcia Griffiths (I-Threes / Bob Marley and The Wailers).
According to Festival organizers, “The purpose of the South Florida Reggae Pioneers’ Award is to recognize those who have played a vital role in the development of the Reggae industry here in South Florida. The reggae landscape in South Florida would be drastically different today if there had been no Clint O’Neil, or others like him, 25 years ago. It is an honor, a privilege, but also an obligation to acknowledge them.”
The festival will also present the South Florida Reggae Showcase featuring up and coming artists from the area in tribute to Clint O’Neil. During his twenty-plus years on the air hosting WLRN’s Sounds of the Caribbean, the late disc jockey was the true champion of rising talent. “For any up and coming member of the reggae fraternity, Clint O’Neil was inarguably your first stop on the Miami leg of your journey. He basically had an open-door policy, which is unheard of in the music business. Many, many artists, producers, and radio personalities have Clint O’Neil to thank for their first break in Miami.”
Other key features of the festival will be a Caribbean Marketplace (for general vendors) and the official Reggae Music Row which will highlight the history of reggae in South Florida and the many musicians and reggae related businesses that are now based here.
“This is just the first step in piecing together the story of reggae in this region. We need to document the stories of Reggae Report Magazine, Winsome Charlton, Jamusa, and so many others before we get too far away from them. Family Reggae Festival, Inc. hopes that this award helps to bring us closer to our foundation and make us stronger in the years to come.”
This event is being produced by Family Reggae Festivals, Inc. and Jamaica Awareness Inc. in association with various sponsors. General admission to the festival is free of charge.
