This year the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival in South Florida will have one big added attraction. VP Records will bring their 35th anniversary, “Six Decades of Reggae Music,” exhibition to anchor a signature area that has affectionately become known as “Idler’s Rest Corner.” This 1,200 square foot exhibit chronicles the contribution of VP Records’ influence on reggae music from the late 1950s establishment of Randy’s Record Mart in Kingston, Jamaica by founders Vincent and Patricia Chin, to what has now become the largest reggae label in the world since the inception of VP Records in Jamaica Queens, New York in 1979.

The highlight of the exposition is the interpretation of this journey by artist Michael “Freestylee” Thompson in a collection of banners that features his original artwork. These life size banners combine Michael’s unique style with photographic images of artists that have passed through the VP Records/Randy’s camp over a period of close to sixty years. Experiencing the energy that is produced by this synergy of art and reggae music is one not to be missed. A display of photographs by top “reggae photographers” compliments the collection of reggae music memorabilia and books that make up this exhibit. A small theatre featuring video highlights completes this eclectic trip through reggae’s past, to the present, and a little taste of the future.