VP Records 35th Anniversary Pop-Up Exhibit Made A Splash At NY’s Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival

The Reggae Powerhouse Celebrates Their Story & History of Reggae Music with State-Of-The-Art Display Designed by Michael Thompson

NEW YORK – 2014 marks the 35th anniversary when VP Records’ founders Vincent and his wife Patricia Chin moved their headquarters from Kingston, Jamaica to Jamaica, New York – transforming their operations into the largest reggae company worldwide.  The label celebrated with a special pop-up exhibit that debuted this past Sunday (July 20) at Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival 2014. The festival attracted over 15,000 patrons this year in Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, NY, and VP Records 35th Anniversary launch event was a main attraction.

The ribbon cutting ceremony kicked off at 2pm sharp. VP Records Co-Founder Patricia Chin gathered with family and friends as media and fans got caught the first glimpse of the historical installation designed by Michael Thompson. Inside was an exclusive photo exhibit by Ajamu Myrie documenting Jamaican reggae culture, an illustrative map exploring the global impact of the genre in every continent and an timeline covering each era – beginning in 1958 (when the Chins established Randy’s Record Mart and Studio 17 in Kingston, Jamaica).

In a roped off area of the exhibit, Mrs. Chin debuted a short documentary for press. From ska to rocksteady, roots reggae to dub, lover’s rock to dancehall – VP Records has been at the forefront of Jamaica’s musical evolution. The video (narrated by Sirius XM reggae personality Pat McKay) revealed the social and political history of Jamaican music and explained how VP Records is a key contributor to its growth, development and future.

The label plans to take this traveling exhibit into other markets throughout the rest of the year, including Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival in Florida. More details will be announced at a later date.

SCENES FROM THE FESTIVAL

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VP Records Co-Founder Patricia Chin kicks off 35th Anniversary Pop-Up exhibit launch with ribbon cutting amongst family & friends.
(Photo by Ajamu Myrie)