Peter Tosh's legacy lives on through music festival

Andrew Tosh, son of the late reggae icon Peter Tosh, is upbeat about the upcoming music festival that honours his father.

"I am fully invested in the planning of the Peter Tosh Music Festival. I think of it more as it is in my DNA to do what I am doing," said Andrew Tosh.

The music festival is one way that the Peter Tosh estate, his children and now the Peter Tosh Museum continue to make an effort to keep the reggae legend's spirit alive.

"A similar event was usually held in Westmoreland where my father is buried, although the family usually hosts an informal local affair in the Peter Tosh Memorial Gardens in Belmont, Westmoreland, where the singer is buried.

"To be frank, many times the family would be elsewhere (on his birthday) or like myself, would be participating in celebrations outside of Jamaica," said Andrew Tosh.

The event continued for approximately seven years, but the introduction of the music festival has given the estate an even larger platform to share the messages of Peter Tosh's music and celebrate his contribution to the industry.

The festival is scheduled for October 19 to 22, and will be the second staging hosted by the Peter Tosh Museum at the Pulse Complex on Trafalgar Road.

The weekend's festivities coincide with Peter Tosh's birthday on October 19.

"The recording artistes and musicians will each do a rendition of one of his singles or productions, but this year will also see them perform an original piece or one of their own tracks," said Andrew Tosh.

It features a reunion of Tosh's band Word, Sound, and Power; Marcia Griffiths, Luciano, Freddie McGregor, Tony Rebel, and members of the Tosh family, including Andrew Tosh, grandson Dre Tosh as well as his 11-year-old granddaughter, Jahzarah Tosh.

Andrew Tosh sounded especially enthusiastic about Jahzarah's tribute performance to her grandfather. The youngest artiste in the line-up has song dedications to grandfather such as I Like To Turn Up The Radio. However, the tracks that Jahzarah and all the artistes will be performing have not been announced.