Al Miller Urges Reggae Industry to Run With a Message

Reverend Al Miller used the Reggae Month Church Service at Fellowship Tabernacle in Kingston to press a hard line: reggae must carry a purpose. Speaking at the service held February 1, 2026, Miller told producers, promoters and church leaders, "Remember ... reggae is message music. If the music nuh have no message, a nuh reggae … a something else. Run with a message."

The service, organised by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport through the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission as part of Reggae Month and themed "Reggae… A Balm in Gilead," drew diplomats, cultural leaders and industry veterans to Fellowship Tabernacle. Miller singled out gatekeepers in the industry with a direct charge: "You have a responsibility for such a time as this. If a man come and him nuh have no message, nuh give him no play."

Miller also aimed his remarks at the Church, urging worship leaders to modernise sound to reach younger people. "Tell the Church say if oonu still a sing dem old songs deh and it nuh have nuh riddim, you have to sing it with riddim … wake up and start run the riddim," he urged, and reiterated reggae's role for the next generation: "Reggae must bring a message to this generation … a message to our youth and our children. Positive messages that give them hope and help them understand their identity and what God has placed inside of them."

Drawing on scripture to underscore his point, Miller referenced 2 Samuel 18 and warned against speed without substance: "Whole heap a man a run, but dem no have no message … Don't run if you don't have no message." He placed that admonition in national context, framing reggae's message-driven foundation as essential to healing. "Yes, we are conscious that there is a changing of the guard. A new generation is rising. Some of our icons have moved on. But reggae is that balm, like a bridge over troubled waters. We are in a troubled period, and reggae has the opportunity to help carry us across."

Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, addressed the gathering and reaffirmed government support for reggae's sustained growth while preserving the genre's historic values. Grange also urged continuity beyond February: "Let us not confine reggae to this month alone but continue to embrace its timeless message." Ministers Grange and Clarke praised the One Love message during the observances.

Miller positioned reggae as more than spiritual salve, saying that if properly directed the music "could take Jamaica to greater heights both economically and culturally" while continuing to spread the One Love message internationally. The church service featured creative ministry performances using reggae rhythms, and a prior Reggae Month service at Fellowship Tabernacle in 2024 ran three hours and included performers such as Keron Clarke and the Lightning Drummers from Ardenne, illustrating the congregation's longstanding effort to blend worship, culture and performance.

Miller closed the service with a charge that folded spiritual renewal into national rebuilding: "This is the greatest opportunity we have had in decades to rebuild Jamaica, to reset and build the 'new Jamaica' we have long spoken about. But the rebuilding must begin in the soul.