800-Foot Mural Celebrates Jamaica’s Rich Cultural Tapestry

The artist Beau Stanton (NYC ) painting reggae artist Garnett Silk, who passed away trying to save his mother from their burning house. (Photo: Joe Risolia)

In virtually every cultural pursuit, the tiny island nation of Jamaica has punched above its weight— “the world’s least populous cultural superpower,” as it’s frequently dubbed.

In sports (Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Asafa Powell, Chris Gayle, Yohan Blake and the GOAT Usain Bolt). Literature (Claude McKay, Louise Bennett-Coverley, Michael Anthony , and Patrick Brown). Drama (Trevor Rhone, Olive Senior, Dennis Scott and Lloyd George). Painting (Colin Garland, Edna Manley, Barrington Watson , John Dunkley, and David Pottinger). Language (think about words from Jamaican patois like “irie,” “rasta,” and of course “reggae” itself). Food (jerk, pimento, callaloo, patty, escovitch, ackee, the list goes on and on). And of course … music (Bob Marley, Sean Paul, Jimmy Cliff, Shaggy, too many to mention).

The Catherine Hall mural is a 750-foot-long collaborative piece on Howard Cooke St. in Montego Bay, Jamaica, painted by international and Jamaican artists. Begun in March of this year, the mural has come to be known as “The Reggae & Dancehall Wall of Fame” and features some 40 reggae and dancehall icons like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Lee Scratch Perry, Cat Coore, Beenie Man, Yellow Man.

Artists who have painted thus far include Argentina’s Maxi Bagnasco (one of the world’s greatest portrait muralists), Lindz and Lamb from the US, Taoszen from Jamaica, Dasic Fernandez from Chile, Fernando Chamerelli and Saulo Metria from Brazil, Pamela Chang from Jamaica.

Joe Risolia, a Miami guy who’s been involved with the EDM fest Ultra nearly since its inception, told Fine Art Globe that the mural is being created in stages.

“The mural has been painted in 10 day ‘Phases.’ We just completed Phase 5 during this year’s Sumfest event, which was June 19 and 20.”

The murals are being painted on the grounds of the waterfront music venue that every year hosts SumFest, Jamaica’s largest and most prominent reggae concert, now on its 32nd year. The artwork has now officially become known as “The Reggae & Dancehall Wall of Fame.”

The owner of SumFest, Joe Bogdanovich, has been a patron of this project, and Risolia calls  Bogdanovich a “tremendous source of reggae knowledge and help across the board for this project, along with the original SumFest founder/producer Robert Russell.” Another contributor, Jonathan Lamb, has been both an artist and a source of knowledge for the mural.

Bogdanovich told Fine Art Globe, “The Reggae Dancehall Wall of Fame is from my perspective the most effective marketing tool for promoting RSF 2024 (Reggae SumFest). The attention it received was second to none within the local marketing threads for the festival. The magic that Joseph Risolia delivered by the greatest street muralist, artist Maximiliano B, was simply outstanding. The work has brought nothing but joy to all who have seen it.”

The mayor agrees. Councilor Richard Vernon, mayor of Montego Bay, said in a statement that the wall is a “thing of beauty which surely enhances the space.” He added, “I am eagerly anticipating the completion of this masterpiece.

Speaking of completion, Risolia sees the finish line.

“In two more phases the mural will be complete. We will then add QR codes and plaques, so people can learn about the musicians whose portraits have been painted and listen to the artists’ music. There will also be information on the painters as well.”

“Jamaica is a very small island with an outsized personality,” says Risolia. “Its homegrown music Reggae has attracted loving fans worldwide. When  I was given this curation project to spotlight the very best Reggae artists from the island — in a district frequented by international travelers—I knew the mural needed to be of the highest quality and shine like Jamaica’s personality. Along with having some of Jamaica’s finest artists paint at the wall, we’ve brought in the very best portrait muralists from around the world. It’s fantastic to see the community in Montego Bay take pride in the wall and really make it their own.”