Jamaica58 dominates media platforms with Emancipendence
Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Olivia Grange presents Jamaica
Festival prize cup to Buju Banton.
Jamaica’s Ministry of Culture, Gender, Sports and Entertainment
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Caribbean Life, August 7, 2020 11
No doubt about it, despite
lack of tour opportunities
Jamaicans are breaking down
barriers to spread their message
and music by delivering
up close and personal virtual
performances from the island.
Reports from organizers
of the annual Reggae Sumfest
festival were that Instagram
accounted for 3.6 million
impressions; Facebook
60,000 persons and another
20,000 who watched the
YouTube channel’s live performances.
“It went beyond our wildest
expectation. I am extremely
pleased with the response
of the international marketplace,”
Joe Bogdanovich, chairman
and CEO of Downsound
Records (presenters of Reggae
Sumfest) said.
Staged the last weekend in
July, “A Taste of Reggae Sumfest”
delivered virtual performances
that reportedly crashed
the site even before the concerts
began.
On the first day of August
— which marks the 186th
anniversary of liberation from
slavery — Jamaicans claimed
the entire weekend to celebrate
Emancipation Day.
WhatsApp social media
users were flooded with sentiments
of the day, photos of
eponymous monuments on the
island, raised fists, quotes from
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, lyrics
from Bob Marley songs and
other empowering messaging.
The milestone date celebrated
by 13 CARICOM countries
commemorates freedom from
colonial oppression and in Canada
was recalled in Caribana
carnival posts to be a landmark
date that ultimately led to revelry
and ultimately independence.
Emancipation Day presentations
streamed live folkloric
showcases, reprisals of historic
significance, and other commemorative
reminders of how
far the nation and its nationals
have journeyed since 1834.
The following day, Aug. 2
the 58th anniversary of independence
virtual church service
streamed from the YouTube
portal for nationals to partake.
On that same date, the
Jamaica Festival Gospel Song
competition climaxed.
One week before, a very
local, annual music contest
that usually proved alluring
to unknown talents, compiled
Top 10 finalists of the Festival
Song contest.
The videos promoting the
songs went viral and an album
featuring the likes of popular
recording reggae, artists Freddie
McGregor, Papa Michigan,
Beenie Man, Buju Banton and
others begged votes for a winner
.T
he album is now internationally
acclaimed and in one
week made it onto the Billboard
Music chart as a single
component of reggae songs
from the island.
Needless to say, Grammy
winning Banton won the three
million dollar bounty offered
by the cultural custodians on
the island and diasporans and
local residents watched the live
presentation ceremony.
The Gargamel won showing
off food, fashion, fun and the
landscape he boasts with a title
‘I Am A Jamaican’ and diasporans
voted their approval.
Olivia Grange, the minister
of culture said she was happy
with the decision to have the
public select the winner.
“We put the power to choose
the Jamaica Festival Song into
the hands of the public and I am
happy to see how much Jamaicans
warmed to that idea,”
said the minister, adding “I
am satisfied to see the renewed
interest in the Jamaica Festival
Song Competition after years
of hard work to revitalize our
national celebrations.”
The winning song earned
a total of J$3 Million in cash
prizes to be divided among the
singer, writer and producer.
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Inside Life
By Vinette K. Pryce
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