Art of Reggae’ poster exhibition in Nicosia

The International Reggae Poster Contest (IRPC), an initiative designed to celebrate the cultural diversity and richness of reggae music, is being exhibited at a special event in Nicosia until the end of the month.

The theme of the contest, “Toward a Reggae Hall of Fame, Celebrating Great Jamaican Music”, emphasises the globalisation and pervasiveness of reggae and the positive impact of its message on the world. The umbrella term “reggae” encompasses all the popular Jamaican musical genres: Ska, Rocksteady, Roots Reggae, Dub, Dancehall and the unique Jamaican Sound System.

The IRPC’s success is reflected in the number of posters submitted in the two years of existence, which includes over 3,000 posters from 101 countries, including three award-winners from Cyprus.

The primary reason for the poster contest is to help build a world-class Reggae Hall of Fame Museum and Performance Centre in Kingston, Jamaica that celebrates the voice, vision and vocabulary of Jamaican popular music.

The other objective is to help raise awareness for the Alpha Boys’ School, a vocational institution for underprivileged youths, located in the heart of Kingston and founded in 1880 by the Sisters of Mercy. This school is a great Jamaican success story, producing some of the most notable legends in the history of reggae. The IRPC is the 12th consecutive report since the founding of the competition.

Three Cypriot graphic designers where included among the 100 best posters of 2014: Georgia Charalambous won 28th place, Maria Agathokleous won 53rd position, and Darina Andreyeva received an honorary award.

The exhibition which is open until March 28 at the exhibition hall of Politis newspaper in Nicosia, was organised with the sponsorship of Pantelis Leptos, Vice Chairman of Leptos Group of Companies and Honorary Consul of Jamaica in Cyprus.