A number of reggae veterans, some of whom helped put the music on the map in Canada, will be honored at the Kings Of Kings 30th Anniversary Jubilee Celebration. That event is scheduled for May 30th at the Jamaican Canadian Center in Toronto.

Colin “Iley Dread” Levy, who started Kings Of Kings Productions in Toronto in 1995, told this column that his objective was to give reggae a broader base in Canada.

“It was based on my observation that there was no record label in Canada that specialize in reggae music, or any production company that was focusing on producing or promoting live reggae concerts on a massive level,” he said. “Instead of just observing and doing nothing about it, I made up my mind to do something about it.”

During the 1990s, Kings Of Kings Productions released singles and albums by top acts like Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Norris Man and Sanchez. The label also released the majority of Iley Dread’s albums and songs.

At the Jubilee Celebration, there will be four recipients of the Crystal Award. They are Etana, Professor Nuts, Brian Muntz, a stalwart of Kings Of Kings Productions, and DJ Spex Da Boss.

Seventeen persons will receive the Nipigon Crystal Award. They include singers Lazah Current, Tony Anthony, Donna Makeda and Vernon “Maytones” Buckley, musician/producer Osborne “Ifield” Joseph, and broadcaster Carrie Mullings.

Originally from western Jamaica, Iley Dread moved to Canada in 1990, initially settling in Montreal where he launched his career as a singer. Eventually, he moved to Toronto and became a pivotal figure in that city’s reggae scene.

WRITTEN BY HOWARD CAMPBELL