Bark Di Trute!: Reggae My Life is - Copeland Forbes My Guest on SpotOn, Riddim FM

Copeland Forbes OD

Copeland Forbes will be my guest on SpotOn on Monday, January 30, 2023. SpotOn is aired on Riddim FM, Monday to Friday from 1000 to 1300 hours EST each day. Courtland Forbes is Jamaica's most prolific global tour manager, artist manager and reggae historian. Copeland Forbes has single handedly put Jamaica on more maps internationally than most Jamaican dignitaries have done since the country gained independence from Britain in 1962. This renders Forbes, to be amongst some of the most powerful and esteemed stature in the reggae industry today.

Mr. Forbes has and continues to be the driving force behind the globalization of reggae music for over 55 years. We embrace this genius of a man as Jamaica’s Christopher Columbus, not for conquering new countries, but for introducing reggae and the Jamaican culture to the world.

Forbes, a truly multifaceted man, began his music career in 1962 with the Harmony Cats, a very successful group that performed at corporate functions across Jamaica. A few years later, he debuts his dancing career with a new group he formed “THE COASTERS” at Club Sombrero, appearing with the Mighty Vikings band. His dancing career evolved into the most illustrious and rewarding opportunity ultimately landing him in his first of four movies he acted in:

The first being “THE FRENCH CONNECTION” starring Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider, which won five Academy Awards, followed by “Groove Tube, Good, Bye Baby, and Forty Carats” with Liv Ulman plus a regular spot on the most popular TV dance show at that time in the USA, “Soul Train”. Following this success, he turned his passion for his country and reggae into one of the most distinguished artist management and Tour management careers in popular music.

During his exceptional career, this reggae music pioneer who was once Mayor of Kingston, a Queen Scout who has attained the Duke Of Edinburgh Gold Award, has met and travelled with such Royalties as HRH Princess Margaret and Lord Snowden, HRH Queen Elizabeth the Queen’s mother, HRH the present Queen Elizabeth the Second, Prince Phillip (The Duke of Edinburgh), Secretary General of The United Nations U Thant, Prince Constantine who later became King Constantine of Greece and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie during his visit to Jamaica in 1966.

During his over 55 years in the music fraternity, Forbes worked in the capacity of Tour Manager, Tour Coordinator, Road Manager and Personal Manager and also guided the careers of reggae international superstars: The Wailers-1973-1974, The Mighty Diamonds, Black Uhuru, Third Word, Gregory Isaacs, Marcia Griffiths, Peter Tosh, John Holt, Luciano, U-Roy, Sly and Robbie, The I-Threes, Jimmy Cliff, Andrew Tosh, Dennis Brown, Frankie Paul, Girlztown Band, Live Wyya Band, Lloyd Parks & We The People Band, Beres Hammond, Freddie McGregor, Chaka Demus & Pliers, Maxi Priest, Sugar Minott, Junior Reid, Mutabaruka, Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade (from Nigeria), Sizzla Kolonji and Burning Spear, et al, this list is not exhausted.

Forbes has taken a lot of the super stars on their maiden tour. Beres Hammond, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, The Mighty Diamonds, the I-Threes. Working with these talents have afforded Forbes the opportunity to not only socialize with royalty and heads of states but to be present at some historical events in the music world. Some of the most salient are:

Bob Marley & The Wailers Smile Jamaica concert 1976 (after the attempted ambush by gunmen).
The Historic One Love Peace Concert at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica in 1978
Peter Tosh’s tour with the Rolling Stones in the late seventies, Tosh’s tour of Australia & Swaziland 1983.
Jimmy Cliff historical concert tour of South Africa and Brazil in 1980.
Black Uhuru World Tours 1980-1984, Sly & Robbie Taxi Connection tours 1986 & 1988, Reggae Sunsplash African Tour 1988.
President Obama’s inauguration in Washington DC January 2009, just to name a few.

Forbes has been the recipient of over 100 international awards since entering the music fraternity in 1962, most from the “Martin’s International Awards and the International” Reggae & World Music Awards for his contribution to reggae music and his country.

In June 2011, he was awarded "The Toronto International Jamaica Day Legend Award," and the "Ottawa Reggae Festival's Life Time Achievement Award" by 2 Canadian Organizations.

In 2016 Forbes was presented with a Citation by the city of Hartford Connecticut, in appreciation of his distinguished service and outstanding contribution in the music fraternity.

In 2017 Copeland Forbes was awarded a National Honor OD (Order of Distinction, officer class) for outstanding contribution in the Development of Jamaican Music.

In July 2018 the inauguration of the reggae Sumfest Hall of Fame, Forbes was presented with Inspire Award and inducted in the Reggae Sumfest Hall of Fame.

In February 2019 (Reggae/ Black History month) Forbes was among the recipients of the National Gold Award, presented by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Sports & Entertainment for outstanding contribution in the development and evolution of 50 years of Reggae (1968-2018). Forbes continues to be the driving force behind the staging of some of the most historical events in Jamaica music history:

Summer of 2012 was the highlight of Jamaica’s golden anniversary celebrations. Copeland Forbes was one of the main organizers of this very successful and talked about “Jamaica 50- RESPECT JAMAICA” concert series, to celebrate Jamaica’s 50th Anniversary of Independence. The 14 day concert series was staged in tandem with AEG LIVE LTD, at the Indigo2 Concert Hall, London 02 arena in Greenwich, London.

Copeland Forbes was the main organizer behind the staging of events to celebrate Reggae’s Queen, Marcia Griffiths, “50th anniversary celebrations.” The much talked about “Marcia Griffiths & Friends” concert series at the 2014 staging of the Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival at the Multi-stadium in Trelawny, Jamaica. The 2014 staging of Marcia Griffiths & Friends at Grooving in The Park outdoor concert in Queens NY which broke attendance record at the park with an attendance of over 30,000 patrons (a Guinness Book record for Roy Wilkens Park).

In April of 2015, Forbes along with Minister of Culture, Sports & Gender Olivia “Babsy” Grange & her team were the main organizers of the first “Abi Reggae Music Festival and Conference” held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Africa. The 4 day event featured some of the finest Reggae entertainers in the continent of Africa and Jamaica. Some of the headliners were; Third World Band, Marcia Griffiths, Kymani Marley, Judy Mowatt, Dub-Poet Mutabaruka, Alpha Blondy, Morgan Heritage and the 809 Band, just to name a few.

More greatness of this living Reggae Legend is yet to come, while the world awaits and anticipate the release of his long awaited and overdue Autobiography “REGGAE MY LIFE IS” (The Untold Stories).