#KINGSTON, March 5 (JIS): Earlier this week, the lawns of Jamaica House came alive with the pulsating sounds of authentic reggae music, with the staging of the Prime Minister’s Reggae Month Reception.
The venue was transformed into the
centerpiece for a live stage show, which culminated Reggae Month celebrations
in February. The setting was replete with the customary trappings of a popular
stage show, including professional lighting and the rhythmic instrumentals of
renowned live band – Lloyd Parkes and We the People Band.
The celebratory atmosphere was
punctuated by swaying bodies, bobbing heads and tapping feet. So infectious was
the music, Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness; and members of the Diplomatic
Corps could not resist ‘dropping legs’ to the sounds of reggae acts such as Luciano,
Shuga, Julian Marley, Gee Wiz, Rohan Morris, and Michigan, who gave electrifying
performances.
Prime Minister Holness, who spoke to JIS News following the event, said it
signified a celebration and appreciation of Jamaican music.
“This is the event which marks the end
of the Reggae Month celebrations. It was truly a great event, a great display of
talent and celebration of what is good about reggae. It is also a demonstration,
in a real way, of the Government’s commitment to standing by the development of
what is probably the greatest music form to have been created in the 21st
Century,” he said.
Mr. Holness noted that through the
staging, the Government is ensuring that the organisers of the music, the
singers, the managers and all the people who are involved in the industry are brought
together to reflect on the music, to discuss the issues and also to have a
fraternity.
“As
we socialised, we managed to get in a few conversations about what is important
for the Government to develop music. Infrastructure came up. The music fraternity
is saying they need a place or several places where they can truly develop the
art form without having to contend with permits and lockdowns and all the other
issues that plagued the music industry last year,” he said.
“We are committed to that. Minister Grange
has started one of the entertainment zones, which we have committed to, and I
know that this year there might be one or two more developed,” the Prime
Minister added.
For her part, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange,
said the reception marked the end of the “biggest and the best” staging of
Reggae Month.
“We have been able to cover all the
genres, all the age groups, and the different aspects and elements that have
gone into making Jamaican music the best in the world,” she added.
Ms. Grange said the celebrations also
involved the diaspora for the first time, noting that Reggae Month celebrations
were held in Miramar, Florida, in the United States (US) this year, and that
there are plans to extend the celebration further across the US to Los Angeles,
New York and Toronto next year.
Vice-Mayor, City of Miramar, Florida,
Alexandria Davis, who was also in attendance, shared with JIS News that when she visited Jamaica for the launch of Reggae
Month in December last year, she decided at that point that she wanted to be a
part of “spreading this love of reggae music outside of the island of Jamaica and
celebrating Reggae Month”
“I had not heard of such a month… so I
wanted to add that [to our other celebrations] and it was very fitting that it
fell in the month of February as we celebrate black history, and so we dubbed
it ‘Black History Meets Reggae’.”
Ms. Davis further mused that a “sound
clash” could be a “nice addition” to the activities for Reggae Month next year.
In the meantime, Chairman, Jamaica
Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA), Ewan Simpson, said he was heartened by
Reggae Month activities, which he said “brought extra life, extra energy, and extra
visibility to brand Jamaica through reggae music.”
Public Relations and Marketing
Director, Reggae Month 2020 Secretariat, Jacqueline Knight Campbell, told JIS News that she was extremely excited
and pleased about the exposure that the brand, Reggae, has achieved for 2020.
She noted that reggae was exposed
globally through multiple marketing streams and activities, including live
streams, through the Reggae Month mobile app, which was installed on thousands of cellphones
in six different languages across the world.
“We have had over 3,000 [persons] log
on to the app [and] over 30 countries being exposed [to Reggae Month
activities],” she said.
The reception also featured the work of two
local artists – Christopher McKenzie and Patrick Kitson – who have done paintings
and illustrations of many of Jamaica’s musical greats.
The Prime Minister was quite impressed with
the work of Mr. McKenzie, who was recently diagnosed with a progressive
neurodegenerative disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
Mr. Holness bought a painting
of artiste Koffee, made of coffee. The Prime Minister was also given a painting
Mr. McKenzie did of the late former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Edward Seaga,
as a gift.
Reggae Month activities were
celebrated under the theme ‘Come Ketch di Riddim’ and included an exhibition
titled, ‘Jamaica Jamaica,’ at the National Gallery, which showcased the
evolution of Jamaican music; the ‘Children of the Icons’ concert, that featured
the offspring of some of the industry’s most influential artistes; and the
Echoes of Sound
Systems event at the National Indoor Sports Complex.
Reggae Month involved collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, JaRIA, public and private-sector entities and other major stakeholders.
Magnetic Media is a Telly Award winning multi-media company specializing in creating compelling and socially uplifting TV and Radio broadcast programming as a means for advertising and public relations exposure for its clients.
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has declared Jamaica a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) island with a vision of fostering innovation, driving economic growth, and empowering citizens to thrive in the global knowledge economy.
“Through our collaborative all-hands-on-deck approach, Government, private sector, academia and civil society, we will work towards this goal. Jamaica is now officially declared a STEM island,” he said.
Prime Minister Holness was addressing the Future Ready International Conference held at the University of Technology (UTech) in Kingston on April 24.
As a STEM island, he said that the Government will seek to implement comprehensive education reforms from the primary to the tertiary levels, with the objective of developing a skilled workforce, capable of competing in global markets.
He said that ecosystems will be developed to encourage startups, entrepreneurs, and innovators in the STEM disciplines to drive industry and economic growth, as well as to address social issues.
“We will encourage the growth of STEM industries such as biotechnology, information technology and advanced manufacturing. We will also leverage STEM to grow and monetise the musical, artistic, cultural and other natural talents of our people. We will leverage STEM solutions to address environmental challenges including climate change, renewable energy and sustainable agriculture,” the Prime Minister said.
“We will position Jamaica as a hub for STEM research, innovation, collaboration and other developments in the Caribbean and beyond,” he added.
The Prime Minister said that by embracing STEM as a national priority, Jamaica will unlock its full potential driving prosperity, peace and productivity in a sustainable, equitable way for all our Jamaican citizens and, indeed, the world,” Holness said.
“Founded on the principles of Unity, sisterhood and community service,” is how Alicia Swann, One Nation TCI Founder, and President, describes the organization as it gears up for its inaugural showing, to be marked by a pageant and parade of nations, family fun day and cultural show.
When Magnetic Media spoke to Swann she explained the inspiration behind the name.
“The reason why we chose ‘One Nation’ was because we wanted to ensure that all of our beautiful ladies within the Turks and Caicos feel as if they are a part of our society. Speaking with the ladies I’ve gotten the opinion that a lot of them feel as if they are in our country but they don’t actually feel fully a part of it,” she explained. With constants whose heritages span the DR and TCI, TC-Trinidadians and more the contest is showcasing the rich and diverse culture of the country.
At least two contestants flew in from the UK and the US to participate in the pageant and the event is not just an array of pretty girls.
“We’ve taken the aspects of pageantry to another level, the young ladies have a platform based on our pillars of the organization which include education and mental health,” Swann continued “We wanted to ensure that they understand the value and importance of having a role and voice in society.”
The contestants were all allowed to choose an area to speak on and advocate for, and the President told Magnetic Media that so far the young women are taking the challenge seriously. There are 10 contestants overall, five in the ‘Miss’ category and five in the ‘Teen’ category.
The pageant is already receiving regional recognition as the eventual winner has been invited to take part in a regional pageant in St Kitts in August, a feat which Swann says she is extremely proud of.
In addition to that event a cultural showing, family fun day and parade of nations will be held.
“We will be honoring people from across the Turks and Caicos, out of every island, for their lifetime achievement in terms of giving back to their society. The persons being honoured are unsung heroes. They have been active in their communities in various roles and we felt the need to recognize all of them.” Swann explained.
The Founder didn’t share the names of those being honoured, preferring to leave it a surprise but did drop hints about who would be highlighted during the event; a smiling clinic nurse in South Caicos, a Grand Turk Taxi driver committed to the island’s development, a dedicated principal from North Caicos, a shipping pioneer from North Caicos as well and a creative founder from Providenciales.
“Our company is huge on ensuring that the community is involved and a part of doing that is ensuring that persons in the community are honoured,” the president said.
Several sponsors have stepped up to the plate including
No monetary support has come from TCIG but endorsements from both Rachel Taylor, Minister of Education, and Josephine Connolly, Minister of Tourism, have been shared and the girls are currently undergoing intense training with a pageant coach in preparation for their big night.
Swann is hoping that once the community has a chance to see what One Nation TCI is doing they’ll understand the importance of the events,
“We are a diverse culture and society and– we want people to understand the importance of diversity, supporting our young ladies and empowering them so they can see they have a role in the Turks and Caicos– The more we offer our young ladies [the more] we are able to retain that talent. Once they feel empowered the sky’s the limit.”
The Pageant and Crowning will be on the 25 and 26th of April while the parade and family fun day will be held on the 27th.
#Kingston, Jamaica, April 24, 2024 – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is to unveil two more water trucks this week, which will be used to service communities in St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine.
Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, made the disclosure during Wednesday’s (April 24) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.
He also informed that of the $90 million earmarked to support farmers being impacted by the current drought, the Ministry will be providing additional support for storage and drip-irrigation systems.
“So, we have targeted about 600 water tanks and about 400 12-millimetre drip irrigation hoses, and that distribution has already started. Additionally, we have earmarked about $8 million to really help with our livestock farmers,” Mr. Green said.
“We know the difficulty that you’re facing now in this time; [it’s] very hard to get the right nutritional support for your animals. As such, we will be providing some hay, and we will [also] provide some trucking of water to you. Again, our livestock farmers, if you are in need, please contact the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and let us see how we can help in these times,” he further stated.
Mr. Green also encouraged farmers to download the RADA App, so that the Agency can “help guide you, not only in relation to what is happening on the rainfall side, but also in relation to your integrated pest management”.
“We do see some increases of certain types of pests during this time, and it’s important that our farmers are paying attention to that. It’s also important that you’re taking drought management seriously [by undertaking] soil mulching, looking at planting drought-tolerant crops, timely harvesting, implementing land husbandry treatments and contour ditches,” he stated.
Contact: Latonya Linton
Release: JIS
Photo Caption: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, speaking during Wednesday’s (April 24) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.