Jamaica - Full Feed

Discussion On Jamaica’s 50th Year Of Independence And Cultural Quiz Bowl Highlight JAMCCAR’s Celebration Of Black History Month At Monthly Meeting On Friday, February 10, 2012

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:45:01 UT

The Jamaican Civic and Cultural Association of Rockland, Inc. (JAMCCAR) is proud to announce that Dr. Winsome Downie-Rainford, Professor of Government at Manhattan College will lead an interactive presentation / discussion on Jamaica at 50: A Retrospective, at its monthly meeting on Friday, February 10, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Spring Valley Youth Bureau, Louis Kurtz Civic Center, 9 North Main Street, Spring Valley, New York. This will be a continuation of JAMCCAR’s yearlong celebration of Jamaica’s 50th year of Independence and JAMCCAR’s 22nd year. The evening will include the popular annual Quiz Bowl with impromptu teams of adults and youth testing their knowledge of African-American /African/Caribbean History and Culture, with a focus on the last 50 years, in a fun atmosphere. Prizes will be awarded to all participants. Come and join a team or cheer one on. There will also be sharing of exciting plans and ideas for Independence-related civic, social, and cultural activities during 2012 for both youth and adults. JAMCCAR’s annual membership drive will continue with prizes for both new members and renewals. The evening will end with networking, fellowship and refreshments hosted by the Hospitality committee.

Dr. Winsome Downie-Rainford has a B.A., from Barnard College / Columbia University , and an M.A, M.Phil. and Ph.D degrees from Columbia University. She is the author of several articles on the politics of development in post-colonial Jamaica and the Caribbean and on women in politics in Jamaica, the U.S.A., the Caribbean, South Africa and other areas of Africa and the African Diaspora, and has completed a book manuscript on the Politics of Independent Jamaica. She currently serves on JAMCCAR’s Board as Parliamentarian and is also president of the Board of the Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center in Spring Valley, New York.

JAMCCAR’s President Millicent Johnson-James, said, “In January, we had a fantastic start to our yearlong celebration of Jamaica’s 50th and JAMCCAR’s 22nd year with Mr. Irwine Clare and Mr. Aubrey Campbell, our steel band, and our dramatist, Mrs. Stafford. We will continue in that same vein in February with our expert on Jamaican history and politics, Dr. Winsome Downie-Rainford and our always popular Quiz Bowl! In the spirit of JAMCCAR’s motto of Jamaicans and Friends Working Together, please share with everyone and come out for what will definitely be another informative, fun and relaxing evening. In addition, identify the current heads of government below and be eligible to win a prize at the meeting.”

JAMCCAR, Inc. is a non-profit, community organization with a mission of fostering good relations with Jamaican-Americans and friends in the metropolitan area, with the purpose of promoting the civic, economic, and cultural aspects of the Jamaican, Caribbean, and Pan-African cultures.

Grammy Nominee Monty Alexander To Host Jazz & Reggae Festival In New Yok In Celebration Of 50 Years In The Music Industry, February 20 - March 4, 2012

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:45:01 UT

Jamaican born jazz prodigy Monty Alexander this year celebrates fifty years in the music industry, and to mark the milestone, Alexander is hosting a two-week Jazz & Reggae festival at the world-famous Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City. The festival is billed the Full Monty Experience and live performances run from February 20 to March 4, 2012.

In a career spanning five decades, Monty Alexander has successfully bridged the worlds of jazz, pop, and the music of his homeland, reggae. The festival will primarily be a retrospective to spotlight Monty’s astonishing fifty years in music and on each night of the festival, a specially invited hand-picked talent will perform alongside Monty in accordance with designated themes. The first week will see performances from jazz greats like Russell Malone (guitar), Christian McBride (bass), Dr. Lonnie Smith on the Hammond B3 organ, jazz guitar genius Pat Martino, Dee Dee Bridgewater, jazz vocalist, bass and drum duo John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton and Freddie Cole, Nat King Cole’s youngest brother who just turned eighty and whose live performance is a rare treasure.

Week two is a “One Love Celebration” that will pay homage to the Jamaican side of Alexander’s heritage. It will journey through the early years of mento, ska, rock steady and culminate in the art form that the world has now wholeheartedly embraced called reggae. The guest list includes Shaggy, Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, Toots Hibbert and Diana King. Jamaican guitar sensation Ernest Ranglin is also a specially invited guest, but he plays on the opening first night of February 20.

Apart from the upcoming festival, this year holds other noteworthy accomplishments for Monty Alexander. His latest album, Harlem- Kingston Express sat comfortably atop the Jazz World Chart for fourteen weeks, and this critically acclaimed set has been nominated for a Grammy award in the Best Reggae Album category. Despite Alexander’s vast international appeal, the Grammy nomination is a first for his illustrious career, and it comes at a time when Jamaica is also celebrating the island’s fiftieth anniversary of independence.

“I am acutely aware of my early music roots and the role that the Jamaican foundation has played in shaping my eclectic American musical journey”, Monty declared proudly. “Influences from pioneers like Coxone Dodd , Duke Reid and Chris Blackwell are all a part of who I am and the Full Monty Experience will represent the entire musical spectrum”, Alexander added. But for right now, Monty’s joy comes from the satisfaction of seeing people from different colors, creed, lifestyles and folks from all walks of life coming together to enjoy the compelling and uncompromisingly luscious music that he creates.

The Expendables Winter Blackout Tour 2012 With Special Guests MTHDS, Through The Roots, And Fortunate Youth Live At MontBleu Casino Resort, February 11, 2012

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:30:02 UT

The Expendables Winter Blackout Tour 2012 is coming to the MontBleu Theatre, Saturday, February 11, 2012. Special guests include MTHDS,Through The Roots, and FortunateYouth.

Tickets are just $18 in advance, or $20 the day of show, and available at all Ticketmaster outlets, and at the MontBleu Box Office, or online at www.ticketmaster.com You can also purchase by phone by calling MontBleu Resort, 775-588-3515.

The Expendables enjoyed a laid--back lifestyle growing up in Santa Cruz, CA; surfing, skating, partying, and playing musicwere commonplace. Since 1997, The Expendables have staked their claim in the California surf/rock genre by headlining venues from coast to coast. Blending Reggae, Punk Rock, and 80s style dueling guitar solos, The Expendables have made heads turn and floors shake for years.

The band consists of four longtime friends: Geoff Weers (Guitar and Vocals), Adam Patterson (Drums and Vocals), Raul Bianchi (Lead Guitar) and Ryan DeMars (Bass). The first seven years of their career was fueled with three full--length, completely independent releases. No Time To Worry (2000), Open Container (2001), and Gettin’ Filthy (2004), would bring in a combined total of over 40,000 units sold with no physical distribution and no record label.

While touring and supporting their album, Gettin’ Filthy, The Expendables would share the stage with Slightly Stoopid and catch the attention of founders and front men Kyle McDonald and Miles Doughty. In 2007 Slightly Stoopid formed their own independent label, Stoopid Records, and signed The Expendables for the label’s first non--Stoopid release, which was The Expendables self--titled. Released in September 2007, the album would be accepted as an instant classic by fans and received ravereviews from critics.

The band continued supporting the album with hundreds of shows over the next two years, gaining fans around the world, and respect from the bands that influenced them. The band would share the stagewith bands like Slightly Stoopid, NoFX, Less Than Jake, Pennywise and Pepper to name a few. At the end of 2009 and beginning of 2010 the band would work ontheir next album Prove It produced by Paul Leary (producer ofSublime, Slightly Stoopid, Pepper, Supersuckers, as well as the guitar player for Butthole Surfers) and El Hefe (guitar player for NoFX).

Prove It was released May 11th 2010 debuting at #158 on the Billboard Top 200, #30 on Billboard’s Independent charts, and #4 on Billboard’s Heatseekers! The album also pushed to #15 on iTunes Top 200 and #5 on iTunes Alternative Charts, jumping The Expendables to a new level in theircareer. The band’s new release would include guest performances by C--Money, OG, and Dela of Slightly Stoopid throughout the album. Jumping into the mix as well would be long time friend G. Love on the ballad “Wells”.

The Expendables have continued their tenacious touring schedule in 2011 and was a featured band on all dates of the massive yearly festival favorite, Warped Tour. Moving into2012, The Expendables will be ringing in the New Year with Slightly Stoopid at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, followed by their annual Winter Black Out Tour, traveling through the West and mid--West on a 14 date run.

Thirteen years later, five albums down and countless miles covered, The Expendables show no signs of slowing down.

Joining The Expendables will be special guests MTHDS, Through The Roots, and Fortunate Youth.

Guerrilla Music Production Roll Out Its First Female Vocalist Latoya Chambers

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:15:01 UT

Guerrilla Music Productions C.E.O. Anthony Hibbert was born and raised in a community called Stanpipe in the parish of St. Andrew, Jamaica. He migrated to Toronto, Canada at age fourteen and got his first music lessons from the late Jackie Mittoo, keyboardist, songwriter and musical director who was instrumental in creating hits such as Frankie Paul's Pass The Tu Sheng Peng, Freddie McGregor's Bobby Babylon, Alton Ellis I'm Still In Love With You, the Cables Baby Why and Marcia Griffiths first hit, Feel Like Jumping. He also credits former Lead Singer of Reggae group The Heptones, Leroy Sibbles and Jojo Bennett. Anthony 'Gideon Base' Hibbert learnt audio engineering at Trebas Institute in Toronto from Errol Thompson (E.T. one of the first studio engineers to be involved in dub music) and Joe Gibbs, Jamaican Reggae Producer and one of the first to record, Lee Scratch Perry after ending his association with the great, Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd. As a musician, Hibbert played in backing bands for a large number of prominent reggae artistes. He formed Guerrilla Music Production, in an effort to channel the militant energy of his young musician brethren from trying to kill each other to expressing in music format, their reasons for wanting to engage in such lifestyle, "Our label makes music for people of any ethnic group, in any form of struggle, anywhere on this earth, be it personal, political, economic or armed" said Hibbert.

Now the company is ready to break ground in artiste management and has unveiled it's first female artiste, Latoya Chambers. But who is Latoya Chambers and how did C.E.O. Anthony Hibbert connect with her? We asked and Latoya opened up....

1.Who is your favourite celebrity?
"Beyonce"

2.What is the scariest thing you have ever done?
"The scariest thing I've ever done is escape being murdered"

3. What is your most embarrassing moment?
"My most embarrassing moment is making the Digicel Rising Stars 2009 talent competition as Siren and spoiled Beyonce's song, 'flaws and all'"

4. What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
"Well....some people say that I am greedy....but I don't know what they are talking about lol!"

5. Who is your stylish Jamaican artiste?
"Spice"

6. What is your favourite past time?
"Riding the roller coaster and other rides, playing games at theme parks when I lived in America"

7. What is your favourite Jamaican ole time classic?
"Should I by Dennis Brown"

Latoya Chambers entered Jamaica's most watched talent show Digicel Rising Star, twice in 2009 and 2010 respectively and walked away in sixth place in the 2010 staging of the competition. The reviews from the competition were quite encouraging and exposure, has made her an household name in Jamaica. The Jamaican Star newspaper highlighted Latoya's performance during the peak of the competition stating, Latoya Chambers was well-received when she sang How Can I Ease The Pain. She impressed the audience with her clarity, smoothness and range. Miller (Judge #1) said it was an, "accomplished performance" while McKenzie (Judge #2) liked her "confident vocal styling."

Latoya Crystol Chambers attended the Mona High School in Kingston then on to the Ashe Academy Alumna where she harnessed a professional singing career at age sixteen. Few years later, she met Producer, Anthony Hibbert at Joe Gibbs Studio in Kingston and recorded a song for him however, her first release entitled, More Than Confused on the Hard Times rhythm hit the airwaves in 2004. The song produced by Steven 'Gibbo' Gibson for Gibbo Records made the VP Records, rhythm driven compilation album that same year.

Latoya went on to record several tracks including unique collaborations for her curriculum vitae with world reknown legend of Reggae music, Lee Scratch Perry and Dancehall crowned King, Beenie Man and has graced the stage of one of Jamaica most highly anticipated events, STING, held annually at Christmas time.

Now signed with Guerrilla Music Production, Latoya anticipates the release of her first EP which will feature a remix of her first single, More Than Confused produced by Anthony Hibbert, The Rise of The Fallen produced by Shane 'Blinga Hype' Walker and Be Mine Only.

'Sweet Jamaica' - 50 Years Of Jamaican Music Vegas Style

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:55:00 UT

International Music Star Celebrates Reggae History Monthwith Double Album

Jamaican-born International music star Mr. Vegas fetes his homeland's golden anniversary with a brand new double album that explores the past 50 years in Jamaican music. Sweet Jamaica will be released in February, Jamaica's national Reggae Month and feature a range of music from the roots of Ska in the early 1960's through the birth of Reggae and into today's contemporary Dancehall-driven pop music culture. Sweet Jamaica will be released to digital and retail stores under his independently-owned MV Music imprint on Tuesday, February 21st.

The two discs, Sweet Jamaica Reggae and Sweet Jamaica Dancehall together feature over 30 tracks, including exclusive new material and some of Mr. Vegas' recent smash singles. Sweet Jamaica Reggae is a fusion of Ska, Rocksteady, and foundation Reggae rhythms. Known for melodious style of deejaying or rapping Mr. Vegas' abandons his usual 'sing-jay' mode and shows off his singing talent on remakes of Toots and the Maytals' classic 'Sweet and Dandy,' and Alton Ellis' Rocksteady cover of Brenda Holloway's "You Make Me Happy."

Sweet Jamaica Dancehall features Mr. Vegas' typically energetic Dancehall delivery on recent Dancehall hits including the current dance-driven club banger "Bruk It Down," the street anthem "Certain Law," and "Beautiful Life." Sweet Jamaica Dancehall also includes a live version of his internationally acclaimed gospel-flavored single "I Am Blessed."

" 'Sweet Jamaica' is the best of Jamaican music - from the foundation until now. Jamaica celebrates 50 years of Independence this year, and I want to celebrate that by showcasing 50 years of Reggae," says Clifford "Mr. Vegas" Smith. "I am releasing this album in February, which is the month we celebrate Reggae in Jamaica and Black History in America. Reggae is such an important part of what makes Jamaica unique, it is our signature sound and Reggae is key part of our culture and our Jamaican brand. Reggae figures like Bob Marley and Dennis Brown - who were both born in February - are important figures in music history in the United States and throughout the world."

Sweet Jamaica's lead single, aptly titled "Sweet Jamaica," hit #1 on Reggae charts in Europe and the United States last year, while the video peaked at #1 on the MTV BASE Dancehall Video chart. The album's second release "Certain Law" also spent several weeks at #1 on the MTV BASE charts. Teairra Mari, Shaggy, Luciano, Nadine Sutherland, and Jovi Rockwell are among the list of musical guests on Sweet Jamaica.

MOBO award-winning artist Mr. Vegas has been one of Jamaica's leading international forces since his entry into the music industry in 1997. Over the past 15 years, he has built an extensive catalogue which includes Billboard charting hits "Heads High" and "Pull Up" and urban radio bangers "Tek Weh Yuhself," "Hot Wuk" and "Gallis." Sweet Jamaica is his fifth studio album.

Sweet Jamaica will be released independently by Mr. Vegas' MV Music label on Tuesday, February 21st. Production credits include Clifford "Mr. Vegas" Smith, Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, Cleveland "Clevie" Brown and Wycliffe "Steely" Johnson, Mikey Bennet, and Rohan Dwyer.

Dion Delivers Golden Performance At Memorable Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:40:00 UT

JAMAICA’S MUSICAL GREATS HONOURED AT JAMAICA JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL – Jamaica's musical greats Richie Stephens (left) and Shaggy (2nd right) were recognized by festival organizers Art of Music Productions for their contribution to the island’s music. Chairman of Art of Music Productions Walter Elmore (right) presented Stephens with an award to recognize his nearly two decade-long contribution to Jamaican music. Shaggy was honored for promoting Jamaica's culture internationally. Also, sharing the occasion on Friday, January 27 at the Jamaica Tourist Board sponsored event was German reggae artist, Gentleman, who shared the stage with Stephens earlier that evening.

A WARM EMBRACE FOR GRAMMYAWARD-WINNING SUPERSTAR – Jamaica’s Director of Tourism John Lynch greets five-time Grammy award-winning singer Celine Dion ahead of her performance at the 16th Annual Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival -- The Art of Music on Friday, January 27. Held at the Trewlany Multi-Purpose Stadium, just outside Jamaica's tourist capital Montego Bay, the Friday night lineup included Jully Black, Nicole Henry, Tami Chynn & Tessane Chin, and Richie Stephens & Gentleman.

DION DELIVERS GOLDEN PERFORMANCE AT JAMAICA JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL - As Jamaica celebrates its 50th Anniversary of Independence, multi-platinum international superstar Celine Dion delivered a golden performance to the over 20,000 people at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium on Friday, January 27. With an outstanding showcase to bring the curtains down on the second night of a stellar three-day festival, sponsored by the Jamaica Tourist Board, Dion delivered a set which included favorites such as I Drove All Night, Beauty and the Beast, The Prayer, Where Does My Heart Beat Now & Treat Her Like A Lady featuring a special appearance by Jamaican singer/songwriter Diana King. In a show lasting over an hour, Dion closed with My Heart Will Go On, the soundtrack from the blockbuster film Titantic, leaving patrons wanting more.

Sanjay And Beenie Man Want 'A Piece A Di Wine'

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:35:00 UT

Piece A Di Wine is another in a slew of creditable collaborations by Sanjay…

Noted lyricist Sanjay and ace deejay Beenie Man have teamed up to drop a hot track called Piece A Di Wine. The dancehall song will be released at the Youth View Awards after party this Saturday February four and will also feature on iTunes shortly after.

Piece A Di Wine is another notch in Sanjay’s cap as he continues to release infectious songs that have become anthems on the ground. Sanjay hit it big in 2007 with Man Of My Word and has since consistently followed up with both dancehall and reggae numbers which have made him a perennial staple on the local music scene.

Piece A Di Wine is another in a slew of creditable collaborations by Sanjay who in 2002 debuted with Strictly Physical featuring Tami Chynn, a song which preceded collabs with Vybz Kartel, Cecile and Aidonia to name a few. Based on his lyrical talents and niche appeal Sanjay is able to pick from the crème de la crème of Jamaican artistes with which to collaborate. Now he adds this track with Beenie Man to his repertoire.

Piece A Di Wine was produced by Conroy from Washroom Entertainment for Sanjay’s Portland Cottage Productions. The track features Sanjay in his supreme lyrical element belting out lines such as: “Me have di thuggin, huggin, luvin weh she a bawl fi, So, come link up…gimme a small pree, Me mek you see the light, like dis a diwali”. With lyrics like that it’s no wonder Sanjay is rated as one of the top lyricists in the game and one who always has fans on edge expecting his next twist of metaphors.

Beenie Man on the other hand comes with his signature swagg; laying down confident lines that have endeared him to the dancehall masses for over two decades. The dancehall king heralds his arrival on the track by confessing: “Gal you see that text deh, me meant it, just the way me sent it, Gal the way you wine, gal you gimme the eccentric, You want a private-I so you called it, no small fit, Obey you thirst mek me quench it”. Beenie Man and Sanjay are a balanced combination of real dancehall flavour with lyrical dept on a solid Washroom beat.

Piece A Di Wine empathises Sanjay’s lyrical prowess and dexterity and also shows that the artiste continues to release relevant material for today’s dancehall audience. Sanjay believes that this song will be a club banger that will have dancehall fans moving: “I went lyrical on the last single, Harder They Fall and now I’m going back to the ladies! This song has all the elements to make for a dancehall party anthem… a infectious chorus, good lyrics, Beenie Man's swagg and star power and a hard hitting Washroom produced authentic dancehall riddim!! Ladies… just get ready FI WINE!"

Piece A Di Wine will premier in Jamaica on February four exclusively at the Youth View Awards after party to be staged at National Indoor Sports Arena.

Jamaican Novel Selected For Presentation On “Mixed/Fixed Relations” At International Humanities Conference, Montreal, Canada, June 2012

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:00:02 UT

Award-winning Jamaican-born Canadian author Horane Smith’s popular novel, Lover’s Leap: Based on the Jamaican Legend, will be the subject of one of dozens of papers on cultural and social issues that will be presented at the 10th International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities, which will be held in Montreal, Canada, in June, this year.

Noha Faisal Mohamed, Associate Professor of English Language and English Literature at Ain-Shams University, Cairo Egypt, has selected Lover’s Leap as one of two novels she proposes to discuss the subject of mixed/fixed relations. The other novel is Forbidden Quest by American writer Dar Tomlinson.

Professor Faisal Mohamed, whose proposal is presented on the conference’s website, notes that, “in Lover's Leap, Horane Smith, drawn by his Jamaican tradition, revives the legend of Lover’s Leap. He presents Jerome, the Jamaican slave, who is secretly in love with Anita, his master’s daughter. At the same time Alice, another slave, is in love with him. He has to choose between Anita and Alice. Is he going to choose Anita or Alice, wealth or poverty, freedom or slavery? In short, is he going to choose a mixed or a fixed relationship with the other/colonizer?”

On the other hand, Dar Tomlinson’s Forbidden Quest is about Paul Michael Quest, a handsome immigrant from Jamaica. He meets Carolyna Sinclair who belongs to a wealthy, prejudiced family. Both Paul and Carolyna are faced with the same choice of mixed/fixed relationships with the different other. Will the protagonists of both novels, though belonging to different races, different cultures, and have different values, succeed in breaking and crossing the boundaries separating them to reach harmonious grounds and a common territory, thereby achieving the interconnection of two different nations?

According to the professor, “this paper will focus on interracial relationships and cross-cultural issues. Driven by the differences in the cultural and gender identities of both authors, the paper will also investigate the points of view of both writers −as apparent in their works− towards discrimination, racism, prejudice, stereotypes, and the possibilities of overcoming such obstacles to cross the social, political, and cultural frontiers.”

It’s not the first time that Smith’s novel Lover’s Leap, which has just been re-released as an ebook, has caught international attention. Shortly after its publication in 1999, the late British best-selling author John Prebble picked up the novel at a bookstore in London, describing Smith as “one of our best emerging writers.” In 2006, the sequel to Lover’s Leap – Dawn at Lover’s Leap, was a finalist in the USA Booknews Bestbook Award for Historical Fiction.

Speaking from Toronto, where he lives, Mr. Smith said he was “thrilled with the selection. This is my small gift to Jamaica on the 50th anniversary of its independence. Lover’s Leap is bigger outside of Jamaica than it is back home, so the selection doesn’t surprise me. This novel has appealed to all races and cultures, hence the reason for its inclusion in this paper.” The 1999 novel tells the story of the legend of Lover’s Leap, in St. Elizabeth, where forbidden love ended in tragedy on the 1700 ft. cliff overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea.

The Egyptian professor will be making a virtual presentation in English. She has conducted many researches focusing on interdisciplinary studies, feminism, ecology and sociology.

The Humanities Conference is held annually in different locations around the world. Over the past eight years, the Humanities Conference has established a reputation as a focal point for new ideas and new practices in humanities research and teaching.

Mr. Smith is also the author of Port Royal, Reggae Silver, Underground to Freedom, The Lynching Stream, Seven Days in Jamaica and his latest Marooned in Nova Scotia – A story of the Jamaican Maroons in Canada. He’s the first recipient of the BURLA Award for outstanding contribution to African-Canadian and Caribbean literature, and has also been recognized among the top one hundred outstanding Jamaicans by the Jamaica Diaspora Foundation Canada, for his contribution to local literature. More information on his books is available at www.horanesmith.com

Best Of The Reggae Film Festival At Redbones, February 18, 2012

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:15:00 UT

2011 was a good year for the REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL in which a number of excellent films won awards. For those who missed them, the Movie Garden of REDBONES - THE BLUES CAFE, New Kingston will be the venue for a programme of BEST OF THE REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL 2011 on Saturday, February 18. Among the films to be shown are the feature film Rocksteady - the Movie (winner Best International Feature) starring Cedric Sanders and David 'Steel Pulse' Hinds, and the Rasta -reggae documentary Holding On To JAH (winner Honour Award - Special Documentary).

An important feature of the evening will be the screening of three new Jamaican short films including a new episode of the animated series 'DUTTY BWOY" by Reinardo 'Mental' Chung (winner DIGICEL Animation Award) , and the 3 winning films of the 2011 RBC Make A Film in 24 Hours competition.

THANK YOU FROM THE JAMAICA FILM ACADEMY As we look forward to the 2012 event, the Jamaica Film Academy would like to take a moment to thank our film makers for submitting great films, our sponsors for making it possible, and our volunteers and friends for supporting the Festival. We couldn’t have done it without YOU!!!

Jamaica Film Academy Directors: Carl Bradshaw (Chairman), Barbara Blake Hannah (Festival Director), Peter Gittins (Reggae Films UK), Sally Henzell, Cordel Green (Broadcasting Commission), Kevin Jackson (Jamaican Film Industry), Rick Elgood (Director), Colin Leslie.

Jamaica Trip Report: Day 1 – Montego Bay, Fish Hut, Emerson Paradise Villas

X Murphy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:45:01 UT

After a hectic second-half of the year it was time for a vacation. I was pleasantly surprised at the customer service provided to us by the Air Jamaica/Caribbean Airlines representatives who greeted us at the ticket counter, at the gate and on the plane. The pleasant greeting may also be because it was the Christmas Season. The flight left on time and arrived into Montego Bay early.

Our driver Chris was waiting for us outside the airport. He was holding a sign with my last name on it. My children said they felt like stars because someone was waiting for us with a sign with their name. Chris was very pleasant and helpful. We waited for about 10 minutes as his father Pursey, who was also very nice (I had made arrangement with him before I arrived), was on his way with the van that would take us to our destination.

We were hungry and asked Chris to recommend the best place to eat fish. We wanted a place that was on the main road to Discovery Bay. He recommended a place called Fish Hut.

It took us about 15 minutes to get to the Fish Hut. It was a rustic building by the sea side. The main building on the property was kitchen and there were benches around the building. You could also sit by the sea wall and enjoy the seas breeze. There was a large almond tree decorated with Christmas lights.

At the Fish Hut you first had to pick the fish you wanted and then they would cook it to your specification. We ordered 3 fried fish and a large snapper steam roasted. It would be a 30-40 minute wait. We enjoyed the ambiance of the place while we waited.

My children were a little impatient but once the food came they all said it was worth the wait. It certainly was worth the wait as the fried fish was delicious. I also tried the steam roast fish. It was melting in my mouth.

After the meal we were on our way to Discovery Bay. I had a quick nap on the way. I woke up when we reached Discovery Bay. The directions to Emerson Paradise Villas were very easy to figure out. It was off the main road going towards the sea. We arrived at Emerson Paradise Villas in less than 5 minutes once we were in Discovery bay. The road is a little bumpy but it is worth the ride to the villas.

The Emerson Paradise Villas is very nice. Milton the manager of the property met us at the entrance. He opened the doors to our 3 bedroom/3 bathroom villa that left me and my family truly surprised. It was well furnished in a modern European Style. (See the photo gallery). We had the room closed to the pool and the sea. The upstairs room had a balcony on 2 sides of the room. The view was awesome as we could see the pool and beach/sea. Best of all there was a bottle of sorrel waiting for us in the refrigerator. It is the perfect welcome drink for the Christmas season.

Book Review - DanceHall: From Slave Ship to Ghetto

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:30:01 UT

About the Book:
DanceHall combines cultural geography, performance studies and cultural studies to examine performance culture across the Black Atlantic. Taking Jamaican dancehall music as its prime example, DanceHall reveals a complex web of cultural practices, politics, rituals, philosophies, and survival strategies that link Caribbean, African and African diasporic performance.

Combining the rhythms of reggae, digital sounds and rapid-fire DJ lyrics, dancehall music was popularized in Jamaica during the later part of the last century by artists such as Shabba Ranks, Shaggy, Beenie Man and Buju Banton. Even as its popularity grows around the world, a detailed understanding of dancehall performance space, lifestyle and meanings is missing. Author Sonjah Stanley Niaah relates how dancehall emerged from the marginalized youth culture of Kingston’s ghettos and how it remains inextricably linked to the ghetto, giving its performance culture and spaces a distinct identity. She reveals how dancehall’s migratory networks, embodied practice, institutional frameworks, and ritual practices link it to other musical styles, such as American blues, South African kwaito, and Latin American reggaetòn. She shows that dancehall is part of a legacy that reaches from the dance shrubs of West Indian plantations and the early negro churches, to the taxi-dance halls of Chicago and the ballrooms of Manhattan. Indeed, DanceHall stretches across the whole of the Black Atlantic’s geography and history to produce its detailed portrait of dancehall in its local, regional, and transnational performance spaces.

Abstract
Black musics and their corresponding practices have deeper continuities than movement, musical and celebratory patterns. Crucially, these continuities have not been explored by research conducted within such disciplines as ethno-musicology, geography or cultural studies. This paper expands data (gathered over twelve years' participation in Jamaica's Dancehall performance and over five years of research), and analyzes its applicability to other Black performance genres. Essentially, by analyzing Dancehall's macro and micro-spatialities, spatial categories, philosophies and systems were revealed, thereby delineating what this author identifies as performance geography. It is the delineation of performance geography within black performance practices from the middle passage slave ship, as in Limbo, the slave ship dance, to urban ghettoes as in Kingston's Dancehall and South Africa's Kwaito that occupies this paper. It sees performance geography as an integral and unexplored dimension of cultural studies and cultural geography and expands the definitions of cultural geography and performance studies to include the way people living in particular locations give those locations identity through performance practices. More specifically, I see performance geography as a mapping of the locations used, types and systems of use, politics of their location in relation to other sites and other practices, the character of events / rituals in particular locations, and the manner in which different performances / performers relate to each other within and across different cultures.

Reviews:
Music is constantly changing and evolving through the years. "DanceHall: From Slave Ship to Ghetto" analyzes the development of DanceHall, which has both spawned a cultural movement as well as a new genre and effect on music. The styles it developed from range from American blues to reggae, and how it is linked strongly to the Jamaican ghettos of today. With connections to the growing black culture overall throughout the Americas, "DanceHall" is a fascinating and scholarly look at the music and its tie to Jamaican culture. - By Midwest Book Review

"DanceHall is a fascinating and scholarly look at [dancehall] music and its tie to Jamaican culture." - The Midwest Book Review "Stanley Niaah's knowledge of the elements of dancehall over the last two decades... is firsthand and encyclopaedic. Much of the value of this book is to be found in the way it documents the details of a culture so swiftly moving that it can seem impossible to document at all." -- The Caribbean Review of Books

About the Author:
The inaugural Rhodes Trust Rex Nettleford Fellow in Cultural Studies (2005) and a Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI) at Mona, Sonjah Stanley Niaah has been teaching and researching Black Atlantic performance geographies, ritual, dance, popular culture and the sacred, cultural studies theory and Caribbean cultural studies for many years. She is the author of Dancehall: From Slave Ship to Ghetto (2010, University of Ottawa Press), and editor of "I'm Broader than Broadway: Caribbean Perspectives on Producing Celebrity' (Wadabagei, Vol. 12: 2, 2009). Stanley Niaah is a leading author on Jamaican popular culture, and Caribbean Cultural Studies more broadly, having published over twenty articles and book chapters in numerous journals and edited collections locally, regionally and internationally. Dr Stanley Niaah currently serves as Vice Chair of the international Association for Cultural Studies for which she coordinated the first conference held in the Southern Hemisphere at the UWI in 2008. A Jamaican nationalist and Caribbean regionalist at heart, she is involved in efforts to promote national and regional development through her work as Assistant Chief Examiner for the Caribbean Examination Council Advanced Proficiency Examination in Caribbean Studies, and her service on the board of the Museums Division of the Institute of Jamaica. She is the Editor of Proudflesh: Journal of Afrikan Politics and Culture, Associate Editor of Wadabagei: A Journal of the Caribbean and its Diasporas, and serves on the editorial boards of serveral others.
Email: sonjah.stanley-at-uwimona.edu.jm

Buy the Book:
Purchase DanceHall: From Slave Ship to Ghetto at Amazon.com.

Interview with Zenesha Zenny Riley, assistant Director & Producer of the Jamaican documentary “ Hit me with Music"

X Murphy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:30:01 UT

This week we interview Nicetime Productions Limited Productions Manager and Assistant Director/Producer, Zenesha Zenny Riley about their documentary on “ Hit me with Music”. Nice Time is a film company committed to capturing and documenting in film and music significant cultural and sports achievements of Jamaicans. Here is our conversation with Zenesha.

Zenesha is a very lovely and unique name. What is the history behind the name?
The history behind my name is a funny one, when my mother : Andria Hylton-Riley gave birth to me my dad had just Bought her a brand new color Television called Zenith at that time it was like A HD plasma tv, so she got excited, and thought what would she name her daughter? she couldnt call me ZENITH, since that was already taken by a TV, so I was called Zenesha, and since Back in the early 80's every ones child had a isha Or a sha, so Zenesha was created thats my name.

Where in Jamaica are you from?
I was born In St Ann, St Ann's Bay the Capital to be exact, the birth place of Bob Marley, Burning spears, Shabba Ranks, Marcus Gravey to name a few, I grew up in a small Rural community called Farm Town, In Discovery Bay St Ann.

How did you get started in film making?
I started doing films when I was introduced to it By Fernando Garcia Guereta a Spanish Business man, who Just simply loved Jamaica, Bob Marley and its Culture, I was in Entertainment management, Music and fashion at the time, and still is in a few of those, but ventured into making documentaries with Nando as he made me the head of Productions of his Company Nice Time Productions.

Tell us about the documentary Hit me with Music? What is about?
30 years after Bob Marley’s death Jamaica continues to be on top of the world-wide music scene. Reggae has evolved to produce a new genre,

Dancehall. Anywhere, at any time, tunes created by artistes from the ghetto fill the island’s soundscape. They tell the story of a society whose reality

is marked by violence and poverty. Through the protagonists of this documentary you'll get to know Dancehall and what it is about.

A diverse group of individuals, including Yellowman, the original King of Dancehall, talks of the context in which these songs are born and what the phenomena represent in their life and the lives of many supporters. Hit me with music presents and represents the urban street culture and lifestyle that fuels and is born out of the new music of young Jamaicans, and captures the elements of dance which form an integral part of nightlife in Kingston.

The Dancehall phenomena is unstoppable in Jamaica and the rest of the world, and continues to highlight the realities

of life for poor Jamaicans, in spite of the efforts of the Jamaican government to attract tourists by hiding this reality behind its “Jamaica No Problem” image.

Artistes, dancers, music producers, schoolchildren and the youths on the street explain the content of the polemic Dancehall lyrics and the

lifestyle created by the music. The Gully – Gaza clash between supporters of Vybz Kartel and Mavado, the controversial subject of “Daggering” and

the reasons why people bleach their skin, are all explored in this documentary.
We’ll also get to know about the dreams and hopes of the majority of the poor and underprivileged people in Jamaica.

Where did the idea come from to make this documentary?

Spanish selector kamikaze from Kiki sound was doing a few recordings in Jamaica, we were shooting "why do Jamaicans run so fast" at that time.

Since we love dancehall also, it became our aim to show our view about what dancehall means for Jamaicans, especially for those living in poor comunities.

We felt that there was a lot of good documentaries about reggae, but dancehall deserved to have its own space.

The title is from the Bob Marley song. Is there a connection you are trying to make with foundation reggae and dancehall with this title?
Fernando always had in his mind an interview made with Bob Marley for a reggae documentary. While playing football, Bob was asked what

was the meaning of reggae, he told the interviewer that "reggae is the music and beat of the ghetto". That was a wonderful inspiration for us as Bob marley fans. Today dancehall is still the music of the ghetto, theres no question about that.

If there is one thing you want audiences to take away from this documentary, what would it be?
For me the nicest thing about dancehall is that it brings joy to the people of the ghetto and rural surroundings, even though we know there is a lot of controversy about Certain aspects on dancehall music, when we see the people dance to it we feel good.

They say documenting culture in film is a learning experience. What is the one thing you learned about dancehall/Jamaican culture from doing this documentary?
We learn that when you dont have many chances in this hard society music is like a healing process for the spirits of those who suffer, and dancing is an

art of expression its extremely powerful.

Do you think Jamaicans are doing enough to document their culture?
Before I thought not, but being in the film Industry you see that there are a lot of potential Jamaican producers and directors,who tries to tell there stories of the culture. Maybe because there are not much funding opportunities in Jamaica to facilitate their production budgets, you don't see enough, but In time I believe there will be more doors open to document our culture. The NLJ-National Library of Jamaica, has played their part in trying to document and collect as much as they can to preserve the culture and its existence. And Nice time productions ensures that All documentaries done by us, is donated to the NLJ.

Has the documentary been entered in any film fests? Has it won any awards?

Yes we have entered it in to TIFF Trinidad and Tobago film festival, and we have won, Best Documentary and The peoples choice Award.

Hit me with music has been screened and premiered in several countries.

Jamaica.

East End Film Festival- London UK

Norient Music Film festival- Bern,Switzerland

Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Germany, Italy

African Film festival - legos Nigeria

Malcom x blvd New york, USA

Pan African film festival,Los Angeles, USA : in February

Just to name a few.

Documentaries always struggle with financing as is not for commercial distribution. How was that film financed?

The film has been financed by the CEO of the company, Fernando Garcia Guereta

Tell us more about Nicetime Productions Limited Productions goal of capturing Jamaican culture on film?
Nice Time gets a lot of inspiration from Jamaican Culture, and we are determined to make the whole world know more about it, we have

realized that there is something about our Jamaican culture that caption the attention of fans all over the world.

How well did the project on “Why Jamaican run so fast” did? Any new awards?

WDJRSF was successful, We have won 4 International awards

1,The “GUIRLANDE D’HONNOUR” at the Milano International Ficts Festival 2009 (Italy)
2.“BEST FILM & BEST DIRECTOR” at the Sport Film Festival Palermo 2009 (Italy),
3.1st place in the category SPORTS AND SOCIETY at the Atlant International Ficts Film festival 2010 (Russia)
4.BEST OLYMPIC MOVIE at the BCN Ficts Film festival Barcelona 2010 (Spain)

Any plans for the Olympics?

The Olympics: Plans are already in high gear as 2 major airline companies will commence to show WDJRSF: British Air ways and lufthansa, starting

in February, we are in preparations to merge with an athletic magazine called Runners world to do a spread and add a bonus DVD & CD of WDJRSF and Authentic reggae and dance hall music for each edition.

Our Executives and legal Administration are also making talks to merge with the Ministry of Sports Youth and culture, Hon. Lisa Hanna and JAMPRO to prepare and coordinate different activities in the London Olympics.

Do you have any other projects in the works?

Yes, our most present project is called " Songs of Redemption.

Songs of redemption is a documentary about The rehabilitation process through music.

Please see link Jamaica Gleaner for more details.

With the emergence of technology movies are copied and distributed illegally on flash drives. Many will say that this practice is quite popular in Jamaica and worldwide. Do you see this as a threat to your film making or do you see opportunity?
We are aware of it, but we understand we live in a technological society, we understand a lot of people cant afford to pay for dvds so we try our best to find different ways

to finance our projects, trying to stop technology is a waste of time. We think some big companies have been stealing peoples money for a long time. We are little but we tallawah.

Are you doing any work for the celebration of Jamaica 50?

We are negotiating our presence in Jamaican 50th anniversary during London Olympic games.

What are you most “proudest” about with Jamaica turning 50 years old?

We are still alive and working to be better in how we do business, trade and understands the international language, how we handle national security

and how we protect whats ours - Brand Jamaica. As our generation gap expands and changes and technology improves, That little rock that Jamaica sits on has improved, I have only lived 27 years on it, some of it there some of it in Europe, but from the History I know and where we are comming from,

Im very proud of its achievements, In music, world Number one In sports ( Athletics), in Education, technology and culture.

50 years as an independent nation might seem Long in the eyes of some, but we still have a far way to go.

Learning from our mistakes as a nation and working towards improving a better quality of life for the poor and recovering from years of piracy and corruption, so Im most proud about our strength and determination.

Thanks for the interview. Any final thoughts?

U a go tyaad fe watch our movies, cant tek we outta di race, Jamaica to di world.

Review: The Knutsford Bus

Diana Ogilvie — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:30:01 UT

In Jamaica where public transportation between the south coast’s Kingston and the north coast’s Montego Bay is relegated between an overpriced taxi or an overcrowded bus, the Knustsford Express is a welcome reprieve for travelers. The bus goes express between Kingston, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay. Reservations can be made on phone or internet in both Jamaican and US dollars. On my last vacation in Jamaica, I reserved a seat on the phone. The reservation process was hassle free.

I arrive at the bus depot after a short taxi ride from my hotel in New Kingston under the gray sky and dew of the early morning. I walked up to the counter, confirmed my 6:00 a.m reservation and paid JA $2000 (USD $25.00). I walked outside and stood amongst the other bleary eyed passengers. The bus pulls up in front for loading 20 minutes before departure. A young man is sorting out the luggage as the crowd converges on him. He immediately took control of the people. “Ochie dis side,” he said left index finger pointing to the ground. “Mobay dis side,” he continued pointing to the right.

In typical Jamaican style there are a few stragglers buying last minute tickets. They are out of luck because this morning the bus is sold out. Much like an airline, the Knutsford Express has a standby list. So if there are no-shows, then a seat can be bought. At 5:45 a.m, I take a seat above where the bags were being loaded, so I can see my bags. No funny business.

At 5:55 the bag loader starts handing out complimentary cold water. At 5 minutes before departure there are more people showing up with multiple bags and expecting themselves and their bags to get on. I couldn’t help but think that they were akin to airplane passengers. Even though there is a sign that clearly states, “Check in is required 20 minutes before departure. It is now 5:59 and there are still people waiting outside for their bags to load. The baggage compartment is full to capacity. A guard boards and asks for the owner of a Toyota Yaris to move her car because it was blocking the exit. It is now 6:01. The excess bags are now being loaded behind the last row of seats. People are still checking in. Note: Get there early so your bags make the flight, I mean the bus ride. At 6:05 our driver, Junior Walton introduces himself. He advises us that the bus does not have a restroom and the journey will last 4 hours. So we can use the bathroom now or wait until we get to Ocho Rios. An old lady gets up and exits the bus. She returns at 6:08. Junior returns at 6:09 and asks if everyone has received their water. The late comers chime in “NO!” At 6:09 Junior closes the door, a small tv screen descends and at 6:10 we pull out of the bus depot to Chevelle Franklin’s “Here I am.”

Every seat has a small pouch, an ideal place to put your complimentary bottle of water. No armrest in the middle which would have been good for me because my seatmate thought my right leg was part of the seat.

As the bus rolled along we saw glimpses of Jamaican life. Morning rituals of old ladies feeding chickens, small children in crisply pressed uniforms grasping the hand of their parents and school children piled tightly under a bus shed. The hills were passing by with different shades of emerald and bright greens in resplendent display.

I noticed that the music had stopped. I settle further back into seat to watch the DVD of a local play, starring Oliver Samuel, Jamaica’s favorite local comedic actor.

Next Stop, Jamaica - One corporate employee’s perspective on Lifestyle Design

Akilah S. Richards — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:30:01 UT

Don’t think of ways to escape your life; think of ways to enhance it.

Seriously—have you ever considered the absurdity behind the idea of a “vacation”?

Essentially, most of us have bought into the idea that being a “responsible adult” means letting go of longtime dreams, getting a “real job” (hello, cubicle nation!), and taking a few weeks off per year to laze about in a new city, trying to forget about what we do with vast majority of our time.

But what’s the alternative? Be a beach bum, or worse yet move back home with your mom so you can mooch off of her, and get by in life with minimal effort?

Far from it. Take a peek into the daily goings-on of an accomplished research engineer who currently calls IBM her primary employer. She’s a firm believer in the “life’s too short not to” philosophy, and she’s putting her money (and her luggage) behind that idea too. April’s lifestyle offers a valuable reminder that it is in fact possible to design a life that feeds you, paychecks and passions included.

Corporate Desk or Kola Champagne?

How exactly does a research engineer with a great career in IBM’s marketing department end up sipping Red Stripe beer in Jamaica and veggin’ out on the beach?

Don’t ask April D. Thompson, because the travel writer and marketing consultant may be living in Jamaica for a 3-month period, but she’s got plenty of work to keep her occupied in between capoeira classes in Kingston.

“My time in in JA isn’t just one big vacation. I’m still working…on several projects (a girl’s gotta eat), but taking every opportunity to explore and learn more about the island and its people.“

April’s business savvy and proven track record allowed her to negotiate a remixed version of her role at IBM that allows her to work primarily from home. That means she can globe-trot to hear heart’s content, as long as she’s getting her work done—and that she does.

As a lifestyle coach (and as a Jamaican!), I was absolutely drawn to April’s capacity to design a life that fit her need to embrace a 100% location independent lifestyle, particularly because she’s spending nearly the full first quarter of 2012 in Jamaica.

Sounds like the stuff of the dreams-only zone, right? Not for April—and she’s definitely not alone. There are a growing number of twenty and thirty-somethings that ditched the suit-and-tie/picket fence life for the welcomed cacophony of experiences that come with location independence.

What does it mean?

Location independence, life-hacking, life outsourcing, … the list of synonyms goes on.

Author Tim Ferriss penned his much-celebrated New York Times Best Seller,The 4-Hour Work Week

, back in 2007, and that’s when the term “location independence” first hit my radar. Since then, I’ve come across dozens of bloggers, entrepreneurs, and writers who’ve adopted the lifestyle. At its core, the concept is pretty simple:

Being location independent is a concept, a lifestyle and, more than anything, it’s a mindset. It’s not just about being nomadic and travelling the world to exotic destinations. It’s a lifestyle based on the freedom to choose the kind of lifestyle that works for YOU. From wherever you choose to be.

- LocationIndependent.com

In 2010, April made the decision to “quit the life” and commit to the ultimate goal of full location independence. So far, April has worked and played in 19 countries, and she doesn’t plan to stop there. Her work-life flow allows her to prioritize her personal and professional goals, and she’s etching out a fine name for herself as an emerging travel writer as well.

Is This Sustainable?

Well, April’s not scrubbing floors to fund her lifestyle. Neither are Chris Guillebeau, Tim Ferriss, and the myriad other “responsible adults” who swapped their daily commute in highway traffic for coach class tickets to new countries.

Not convinced? Luckily, this article wasn’t meant to inspire you to walk into your job tomorrow and dare your boss to do or say one wrong thing. Instead, it’s simply meant to remind you that if your current life isn’t feeding your deepest needs, then perhaps you can take one step in the direction of a life that does.

Be it location independence, a better 9-to-5, a healthier body, or a happier relationship, you play an integral role in that life. So go ahead, give it some thought, check out April’s blog , and see if you can release the need to vacate your life in order to truly enjoy it.

Curious about how other Location Independent folks earn their dough?

Check this out for starters:http://www.corbettbarr.com/64-ways-location-independent-people-earn-a-living

Can I sell land in Jamaica using a common law title?

Legal Wiz — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:30:01 UT

Dear Legal,

I would like to sell some land in Jamaica that was passed from my grandmother to my mother and now to me. The title I have is a common law title in my grandmother's name, and both my grandmother and mother have died. I would love to get a title from that common law title if it is needed. My aunt paid taxes till she died, and then I began paying the taxes up till now. None of my relatives are interested and I have letters from them saying so. Please help.

RESPONSE:

Dear MW

You can sell property using the common law title, but remember that the Registration of Titles Act places an onus on you, the Vendor to supply the Purchaser with a registered title. You will need further direction as the title is in your grandmother's name and the process to registering title, and selling property, can be complicated for someone with only basic knowledge. Our team can assist you further.

Here we will discuss common law title, obtaining registered title, and buying/selling land with the same.

ABOUT COMMON LAW TITLE In JAMAICA

A common law title is a certificate which is used for unregistered property. It can be used to upgrade to or obtain the actual registered land title at the National Land Agency (NLA). Please bear in mind that The Registered Titles Act stipulates that the originally created registered land title be retained at the office of Land and Titles, while ‘landowners’ are entitled to duplicates.

As a Deed of Conveyance, it is a legal document prepared under seal by an attorney-at-law, containing an agreement where there is conveyance or transfer of property from one person to another. It can also be bought at stationary stores islandwide.

The common law title usually contains:

- premises that are being conveyed

- the particulars of the parties. This is the details on the vendor and the purchaser and the considerations for the property, including the amount of money that the property is being sold for.

The common law title MUST:

- be witnessed by a Justice of the Peace or notarised by a Notary Public

- must be recorded at the Registrar Generral’s Department (RGD)

STEPS TO TAKE WHEN APPLYING FOR REGISTERED LAND TILE WITH COMMON LAW TITLE:

When seeking the registered title with the common law title other documents you will additionally need are;

- an application form

- an affidavit setting out the details of how the land was obtained

- two declarations from persons who have known the land for at least 30 years

- an up-to-date tax certificate indicating that payment of property taxes is current.

- any and all other documents that can prove ownership, such as receipts, conveyance or probate, should also be produced

WARNING:

1. If the parcel of land is being registered by reference to a survey plan, then it will be necessary to submit a pre-checked survey plan, along with the application.

2. If the description of the property is not by survey plan, then the description of the land should be by measurement and boundary (estimated description). It should be noted however, that the distance must be stated in metric units (more or less) along each boundary line and the estimated area of the entire parcel should also be stated in metric..

3. If the property was obtained by way of a will, probate is required

For this you will need to submit the documents relating to that particular estate, for example the Probate Document and the Estate Duty Certificate

BENEFITS OF COMMON LAW TITLE include:

You can secure a loan from lending institutions, such as co-operative societies and the National Housing Trust (NHT), using a common law title.

Under The Facilities for Titles Act "The National Housing Trust does accept a common law title, for certain specific loans. Bear in mind that you will also need to establish the root of the title via the Statutory Declarations form.

SELLING PROPERTY

Please see relevant links on this site about buying and selling property.

Hope this helps. Please contact the team for any further detailed assistance.

Weapons of Mass Connection in a City with a New Direction, Grand Central Park, Downtown Miami, February 18, 2012

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:35:00 UT

One Love Nutrifest | New Beginnings: Feed your Heart, Body & Spirit a Wholistic approach to wellness through workshops, demonstrations and World Beat Music
February 18, 2012 at Grand Central Park in Downtown Miami

Grand Central Park, the newly landscaped grounds of the old Miami Arena comes alive with the One Love Nutrifest, a celebration of our collective souls and the magnetic energy that unites us all as a planet. This collective soul is very much alive in Miami's ever-changing melting pot of rhythms colors and flavors. This beautiful city is the perfect metropolis to host a festival, created to highlight and promote the qualities that make us similar instead of the differences that divide us apart. The main denominators that fraction off this city's diverse population are cultural ignorance and economic status. Therefore all of us here at Rockaz MVMT (pronounced Rockers Movement) have set out to utilize weapons of mass connection such as music and art to battle hunger, poverty, and injustice with love, rhythm, and good vibration.

It is exactly that vibration that is the main ingredient of the Reggae Sound Systems, which has broken through every possible cultural barrier to conquer the hearts of so many human beings throughout the world. It has broken chains in the name of righteous emancipation, mutated into Hip-Hop in the Bronx, Jungle in the UK, New School Dub Europe, and multiple fusion derivatives in Latin America. Reggae music has done all of the above while continuing to spread its natural mystic to every remote corner of the planet promoting a natural lifestyle along with its message of One Love.

Consequently that message along with sonic diversity are the reasons why a glowing constellation of musical stars was chosen to provide the soundtrack for the inauguration of Grand Central Park in Downtown Miami on February 18th 2012 a President's weekend that will be remembered for years to come. The carefully hand picked line-up represents the new generation of roots and culture. This is a generation that carries on the essence of the Afro-Caribbean sonic tradition while displaying its evolutionary movements and hybridized blends. These lively recipes illustrate not only where it all comes from but also where the genetic future of this cultural treasure is headed.

It will be a unique experience whether we're jammin' to the rub-a-dub style revisits of The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Radiohead by the Easy Star All-Stars.
Swaying to the jazz infused roots cocktail with lyrics that center mostly on socio-political and ecological issues of Puerto Rican legends Cultura Profetica. Whether we're vibing to the revolutionary love anthems of Chilean group Gondwana standing tall and strong in a peace-loving position of musical and lyrical creation, or the soulful energetic punch of Jahfe. Whether we are holding hands to the melodic one drop beauty of Midnite, the legendary St. Croix roots reggae group who tells us to "keep good relations" with one another, despite the corporate greed and political discord around the globe, or getting our brain twisted by the raw metaphor lyrical sculptures of Ephniko. Delivering a message of hope and patience will come from The Messenger himself Luciano with his long awaited arrival back to the United States after many legal battles and canceled performances Rockaz MVMT have successfully secured his entry to perform at One Love Nutrifest. Whatever you listen to, feel, or experience on this very special day in Miami's history will show that all the artists chosen to represent One Love Nutrifest presentedby Rockaz MVMT are parts of this iconic bridge to unite this city's diverse population.

Get ready to rock on to the tunes to which our rapidly growing city is dancing to. The sweet and spicy grooves oozing out of speakers in a city that has blended tropical weather and art deco. Welcome to the eruption of new high rises and a downtown steaming with interesting people walking in and out of galleries, world class murals, international cuisine centers, and a pulsating art scene. What city can really serve as a better backdrop for such an extremely rich musical movement. Now add all these ingredients together the sum equals what many people are calling "The City of The New Millennium."

This is the new Miami: romantic tropical metropolis that is sleek and artsy. However that is not all that the city has to offer. The true 'soul of the city are the new and old locals concerned with maintaining a steady flow of energy. These non-conformist creatures are busy creating genuine expression not driven only by commercial success. They are a united front passionate about fighting hunger and poverty as well as promoting a healthy lifestyle based on good food, exercise, artistic expression, and overall consciousness of a better way to live within the modernity and corporate colonization that comes along with the massive urban growth and development Miami is undergoing.

Not only are we experiencing growth on a physical, cultural, and economic level, but we are all feeling the cosmic energy and planetary changes affecting humanity on the much discussed final year of the Mayan calendar. 2012 has dragged in currents of new consciousness that is not to be confused with yuppi yogis, euro-centric capoeristas, and other so called "spiritual" group therapy meeting spaces. Instead it has dragged in a new consciousness of solidarity for the least privileged and the need to operate as a wholistic community not willing to settle for anything less than the change that needs to happen in the world. A need to eat better, help heal the environment, and find alternative ways to use energy along with new ways to live, consume, and tolerate each other with love and kindness.

It is these currents of change that are the heart beat and true motivation for leader Alfonso D'Niscio Brooks and the rest of the Rockaz MVMT organization. The goals are as follows, to create a space to push a green identity within a high-rise city. Educate people about alternative energy, recycling, and other ways to heal the environment. Collecting food to help feed the enormous number of homeless people in our city that have no access to the nutrition that every human being deserves. Standing together in the face of injustice poverty and hunger and battle it until the evil that looks to maintain a status quo permissive of the propagation and existence of these social ills is eradicated. The goal is to fight consciously with awareness the ways of Babylonian in order to instill new philosophies much closer to the wisdom expressed naturally by the intelligence of the universe.

These goals will be accomplished one show at a time using music, art, and many more human soul manifestations as a platform to fulfill them. In the words of Bob Marley: "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind." These songs of freedom are all you will ever hear at One Love Nutrifest. That being said you must all come by to bring peace, love and smiles along with your food donations. Come to dance to the rhythm of a new world and remember that you are the universe yesterday, today, and tomorrow. So whether it is 2012 or 4020 never forget to "be the change you want to see in the world" - Ghandi.

The Budweiser One Love Nutrifest is scheduled for Saturday February 18, 2012 at the brand new Grand Central Park 721 NW 1st Ave in Downtown Miami. Gates open at noon till midnight. General admission $30. Free admission between noon and 2pm.

For additional information about corporate sponsorships and ticket sales for the 2012 Budweiser One Love Nutrifest contact our office at 305-763-4509 or email at media@rockazmvmt.com

Jenny Mein Designs

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:40:00 UT

“Beautiful fine bone china tableware and giftware inspired by Caribbean fruit and flowers”

Jenny Mein, founder of Jenny Mein Designs, recently re-launched her stunning new website www.jennymeindesigns.com to showcase her exclusive new fine bone china collections, “Jamaican Breadfruit” and “Caribbean Garden” to complement the Jamaican Ackee collection. The website is ever-expanding and offers a lifestyle service showcasing some of her exquisite range of china and reflecting her previous occupation as a magazine food editor, with a selection of imaginative and delicious Jamaican recipes.

Jenny Mein launched her first china collection, the Jamaican Ackee in 1998 at the prestigious Jamaica Expo and Trade Fair at Olympia, London and was delighted with the marvellous response to the china she decided to set up Jenny Mein Designs. The china is produced exclusively under patent and finished to the highest standard in Stoke-on-Trent, England, home of the British china industry. The china now grace the homes of people from all walks of life and include British celebrities such as the television actors, Dawn French and Lenny Henry, Dianne Abbott, MP to the Jamaican Ambassador’s residence in Washington D.C.

Jenny Mein is committed to designing good-quality, affordable and elegant china which is fresh and contemporary yet steeped in tradition and which are ideal for gifts and souvenirs or simply to use in the stylish home. In so doing she hopes to promote awareness of the Caribbean’s rich natural heritage.

Mardi Gras Saturdays At Chasers Cafe

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:30:00 UT

WHAT: Mardi Gras Saturday
WHERE: Chasers Cafe - 5 Belmont Rd., New Kingston
WHEN: Every Saturday night starting in February
TIME: Doors Open 8:00 PM

ADMISSION: $500 | LADIES - FREE B4 9PM

A Rootz Garden Concert - February 4, 2012, Kingston, Jamaica

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:00:00 UT

Its Growing" A ROOTZ GARDEN CONCERT

When: Saturday, February 4, 2012
Time: 8:00pm until 1:00am
Where: The Sunken Garden, Hope Gardens, Hope Road, Kingston, Jamaica
Description: Rootz Releaf & La Reserva Foundation in association with The Hope Gardens Preservation Society proudly present :

A ROOTZ GARDEN CONCERT

"ITS GROWING"

Featuring performances from Toots & The Maytals, Ra Deal, Prophecy & The Band of Reggae, Dubtonic Kru and of course Rootz Underground

PLEASE JOIN US AS WE RAISE MONEY AND GARNER SUPPORT FOR :

The Hope Gardens Preservation Society
The McCam Child Development Center
The Rootz Releaf Project - School Planting Program
The Jamaica School for The Deaf
The Toots Foundation

TICKETS: $1500JAD pre-sold, $2000JAD at the gate
VIP - $3000 (advance only)

OUTLETS: Spartan Health Club, Bookophillia, Nature Preservation Society (HOPE GARDENS)

Prime Minister Simpson Miller Receives Congratulatory Call From Secretary Of State Clinton

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:55:00 UT

Prime Minister the Most Hon Portia Simpson Miller this afternoon received a call from US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton congratulating her on her election victory, and on once again assuming leadership of the country as its Prime Minister.

Mrs. Clinton spoke of the warm relations between Jamaica and the United States of America, and offered to get a team together to visit Jamaica to explore how they can be of further assistance particularly in the areas of security, education and poverty reduction.

Prime Minister Simpson Miller thanked Mrs. Clinton for the offer, saying that the areas suggested would be of great assistance to the country.

In complimenting Mrs. Clinton, Prime Minister Simpson Miller said that the women of the world drew inspiration from her strength and achievements.
The call from Secretary Clinton follows a similar one received from US President Barack Obama during her first week in office.

USVI Strengthens Partnerships At Caribbean Marketplace

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:40:00 UT

The strong interest in the United States Virgin Islands was encouraging for the territory's team at this week's 30th anniversary staging of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association's (CHTA) Caribbean Marketplace in the Bahamas.

"People are very excited about the US Virgin Islands," reported Deputy Commissioner of Tourism Chantal Figueroa, who listed new convenient air service, the ease of travel, the no-passport requirement and the three distinct island offerings as major drawing points among conference buyers.

"Although we are one destination, buyers are pleased they can offer their clients different things to do because of how varied our islands are," she said. The new air service to the territory on both JetBlue Airways and Air Canada contributed to the keen responses at the biggest gathering of the Caribbean travel and tourism industry and companies which serve them abroad.

Figueroa described her team's more than 40 appointments with travel and media partners over two days as "productive". The meetings, she added, provided the opportunity to cement partnerships with traditional and new tour operators and communicate the Department of Tourism's strategy for 2012.

While the Department of Tourism team is in regular communication with its partners throughout the year, she pointed out, "at Marketplace we are able to meet face to face with tour operators to strengthen our relationships, communicate our strategy, discuss booking trends and advance our marketing charge."

Of particular interest to delegates, observed Figueroa, was a Master Class taught by TripAdvisor about online marketing strategies to help promote the growth of tourism.

The Deputy Commissioner also observed as more and more consumers book travel online and with mobile devices, tour operators are looking at ways to make the online and mobile booking experience more exciting and fun.

The USVI delegation was led by Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty who attended pre-convention meetings with Caribbean ministers and commissioners of tourism which focused in part on advancing regional marketing efforts and the revival of the Caribbean Tourism Development Company.

Also reaching out to the hundreds of attendees at Caribbean Marketplace was the Department's marketing coordinator Chantel Hoheb; incoming president of the CHTA Richard Doumeng of Bolongo Bay Beach Resort; Lisa Hamilton, president of the US Virgin Islands Hotel and Tourism Association; and more than a dozen representatives from a number of the US Virgin Islands' leading hotels and resorts.

During closed door sessions, Hamilton was elected President of the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives (CSHAE) for a two-year term.

JAMAICA NEWSWEEKLY For the week ending January 27th, 2012

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:10:00 UT

----------------------------------------
THIS WEEK”S SUMMARY
----------------------------------------

JAMAICA, IMF HOLD DISCUSSIONS—01/21/12
The government of Jamaica is holding talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), says Dr. Peter Phillips, Minister of Finance. The status of Jamaica's agreement with the IMF has been a source of concern in the national politics for some time. According to Phillips, the discussions will be difficult, but he believes there is good will on both sides. The talks are in their "preliminary phase" to date, and any future programs must include tax reforms, public pension system reforms, and reductions in public sector expenses.

PRIME MINISTER SIGNALS NEW ENERGY FOR JOBS PROJECTS—01/22/12
Portia Simpson Miller, Jamaican Prime Minister, has indicated her government will make a new effort to create jobs for more citizens. The effort depends on a nationalist public sector supporting the plans. According to Joseph M. Matalon, spokesperson for corporate Jamaica, companies already provide jobs through YUTE, a special project. He encouraged the government to focus on moving forward with its agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) instead.

UTECH STUDENT MURDERED IN SUSPECTED LOVE-TRIANGLE INCIDENT—01/23/12
Alex Brown, a student at the University of Technology in St. Andrew, was stabbed to death in what police believe was a love-triangle killing. According to police, Alex, 21, was at the home of a female friend when another man, thought to be the boyfriend of the female, arrived. Alex and the man got into an argument, during which Alex was stabbed with a knife. He later died at University Hospital of the West Indies. Investigators say that the woman in the case is not likely to face any criminal charges. Alex Brown was to have graduated from UTech in July 2012 with a degree in environmental studies.

COURT IN JAMAICA ORDERS PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION FOR TORONTO COUPLE—01/24/12
The Canadian parents of a toddler whose body was found in a suitcase in Jamaica have been ordered to submit to a psychiatric evaluation by a court. According to Superintendent Steve Brown of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the couple was originally charged with concealing the death of a two-year-old boy, but has now been charged with failing to bury a body. They are facing additional charges as well. The same couple admitted to abandoning their infant daughter in a Toronto stairwell in 2008.

IMF VISIT TO JAMAICA ENDS, DISCUSSION TO RESUME IN FEBRUARY 2012—01/24/12
The visit of the International Monetary Fund to Jamaica was completed, with representatives stating their commitment to working with Jamaican officials to address the nation's challenges. The IMF said that its team and Jamaica's government agree on the challenges facing the country, which stem from a high public debt and little economic growth. According to Dr. Peter Phillips, Minister of Finance, the five days of discussion between the IMF and Jamaica's government have led to a better understanding of governmental priorities.

JAMAICAN GOVERNMENT ISSUES INVITATION TO EXPO JAMAICA 2012—01/25/12
Anthony Hylton, Jamaican Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, announced that the government plans to make stronger ties with its CARICOM/CARIFORUM partners in order to ensure balanced and equitable treaty arrangements. One way Jamaica intends to do this is through stronger regional cooperation and commercial links. In this context, he issued invitations to regional Ministers of Commerce to participate in the Expo Jamaica 2012 trade show.

SICKLE CELL TREATMENT USING CARBON MONOXIDE TO BE TESTED IN JAMAICA—01/26/12
Carbon monoxide gas is the basis of new drug treatments for individuals afflicted with sickle cell disease. Tests of the new treatment are to be held in Jamaica. If successful, the treatments could mean better lives for sickle cell patients around the world. Sangart Inc., a global biopharmaceutical firm, is developing the treatment. Professor Marvin Reid said the Sickle Cell Unit in Jamaica agreed to be part of the study because current treatments for sickle cell patients are extremely limited. He hopes the new drug treatment will be useful in treating the painful crises that suffered by patients with sickle cell disease.

EMERGENCY EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM STALLED—01/27/12
The Jamaica Emergency Employment Program (JEEP) failed to launch as the government came close to admitting it had misled the nation. Instead of JEEP, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller introduced a performance-based road-maintenance project to be applied to the North Coast Highway. It will be funded by the Inter-American Development Bank with US$10 million. Many mistakenly believe that every employment program is part of JEEP, but the road project is not a JEEP program. It does not take anything away from the JEEP effort, said Simpson Miller.

---------------------------------------------
JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
---------------------------------------------

DUDLEY THOMPSON DIES—01/21/12
Dudley Thompson, former Jamaican Cabinet Minister, died in New York, one day after his 95th birthday. He served as Minister of National Security and Justice in Jamaica, as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs. He had a reputation for being one of the best attorneys of his generation and served under the regime of Michael Manley and the People's National Party during the 1970s.

COUPLE LINKED TO BODY IN SUITCASE MAY HAVE PREVIOUSLY ABANDONED BABY—01/22/12
Police in Toronto, Canada, believe that the parents of the two-year-old boy whose body was found in a suitcase in Jamaica are the same people who left a baby girl in a stairwell in Toronto in January 2008. Stephanie Warren, 34, and Alfanso Warren, her husband, are being held in a prison in Jamaica after the body of their son Jeshurun was found in a suitcase. The couple moved to Jamaica in 2009 after being found guilty of abandoning their infant daughter in a stairwell. The boy's body revealed no signs of foul play, but the couple could face charges of violating the Child Care Protection Act.

TWO JAMAICANS SURVIVE SHIPWRECK OFF ITALIAN COAST—01/23/12
Antonio Wright, a chef from St. Mary, and another Jamaican cook were in the kitchen on board the Costa Concordia cruise ship when it ran aground off the Italian coast on January 13, 2012. The ship capsized, causing the deaths of at least 12 people. Wright praised the Costa Cruise Line but was critical of the ship's captain Francesco Schettino. Wright has worked for the cruise line for about 20 years. He said conditions were chaotic before the ship capsized, with plates and pots and pans crashing to the floor, and other objects flying through the air across the kitchen. Some cooks received injuries from flying objects, Wright said.

50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED WITH PANTOMIME AT FESTIVAL—01/27/12
The fifth annual Louise Bennett-Coverley Reading Festival will be held at South Regional Broward College Library in Pembroke Pines, Florida, on February 11, 2012. The event will feature several cultural performances, including a pantomime designed to celebrate Jamaica's 50 years of independence. The event enjoys the patronage of Sandra Grant Griffiths, Jamaica's Consul General, and will provide a special guest appearance by Marjorie Whylie, ethnomusicologist and musical director of the National Dance Theater Company. She is also known for her long association with the late Louise Bennett-Coverley, Miss Lou, who died in 2007 and is buried in National Heroes Cemetery in Jamaica.

-------------------------------------------------
CARIBBEAN NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
-------------------------------------------------

TOURISM IN BAHAMAS BOOSTED BY CARIBBEAN MARKETPLACE—01/21/12

GONSALVES INVITES TAIWAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT CARIBBEAN—01/22/12

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC EXPERIENCES 5.1 EARTHQUAKE—01/23/12

BRITAIN'S PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE AND FAMILY TAKE CARIBBEAN HOLIDAY—01/24/12

OBAMA GIVES HOPE TO CARIBBEAN IMMIGRANTS—01/25/12

CARIBBEAN TOURISM GROUP OBJECTS TO UK AIR TAX—01/26/12

Visit Caribbeantopnews.com for the weekly Caribbean News Summary, Caribbean Events & Announcements and Caribbean Recipes.

---------------------------------------------
BUSINESS NEWS SUMMARY
---------------------------------------------

KINGSTON WHARVES LIMITED READIES FOR LARGER SHIPS—01/24/12
Kingston Wharves Limited (KW) wants to raise $1.8 billion from the Jamaica Producers Group (JP) so that it can make preparations to handle the very large ships expected to arrive after the expansion of the Panama Canal is completed in 2014. The KW project involves the demolition of two or three warehouses, which will be relocated, and dredging the harbor to accommodate larger vessels. JP is a founding shareholder of KW. Its proposed investment will give KW secure long-term financing for its expansion needs.

MINISTERS OF TOURISM MEET WITH REGIONAL COUNTERPARTS—01/25/12
Jamaica's Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Dr. Wykeham McNeill plans to meet with other tourism ministers at the 2012 Caribbean Marketplace event in Nassau Bahamas at the end of January. The ministers will attempt to create critical strategic partnerships with other nations in the region. According to McNeil, the event is important because it offers a place for key industry officials from around the world to meet with their counterparts in the region. The 2012 event will be McNeill's first Caribbean Marketplace since his appointment as Tourism Minister.

PHILLIPS SIGNALS DESIRE FOR STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH PRIVATE SECTOR—01/26/12
Dr. Peter Phillips, Jamaica's Finance Minister, has indicated that he is interested in developing a strong working relationship with entities in the private sector. He has mentioned public assets to be privatized as one area of significant opportunity. According to Phillips, the government has made a commitment to making the partnership with the private sector stronger in order to create sustainable growth in Jamaica.

NEARLY HALF OF FOOD EXPORTERS NEED HELP—01/27/12
According to Beverley Miller, Food Safety Modernization Coordinator, almost half of the food exporters in Jamaica continue to need aid in order to meet the more stringent trading requirements imposed by the United States. Food export facilities must now comply with new standards established by the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The new requirements went into effect on January 1, 2012. Just 15.5 percent of food export companies have been deemed ready for inspections by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). About 40 percent of the firms can meet the requirements, but some 44 percent still need major assistance to comply with the new standards.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
CARIBBEAN TECHNOLOGY NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

THERE'S AN APP FOR JAMAICAN ART—01/22/12

POWER PROGRAM INTRODUCED BY HAITI'S PRESIDENT MARTELLY—01/23/12

SOLAMON TO BUILD LARGEST SOLAR FARM IN CARIBBEAN—01/24/12

URISA SEEKS ABSTRACTS FOR SIXTH CARIBBEAN GIS CONFERENCE—01/25/12

Visit Caribbeantopnews.com for the weekly Caribbean News Summary, Caribbean Events & Announcements and Caribbean Recipes.

-----------------------------------------------------
TECHNOLOGY NEWS SUMMARY
-----------------------------------------------------

35-FOOT CAMERA BUILT TO CAPTURE "EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE" IMAGES —01/22/12
Dennis Manarchy, photographer, has built a giant 35-foor camera to use in capturing images of vanishing cultures in all 50 states of the United States of America. The camera, called the "Eye of America," can take very large, very detailed photos. Its design is based on traditional film cameras, and since it is so large, the frame will be made with welded aluminum. It can capture images at very high resolution, 1,000 times that obtained with an average negative. Negatives from the giant camera measure 6 feet by 4.5 feet.

FORD CREATES AUTO INTERIORS FROM TROPICAL PLANT—01/26/12
Carmaker Ford announced that it will use kenaf plants to make the sport door bolsters in its new Escape SUV. Kenaf is a plant that grows like bamboo, with long, fibrous stalks. These stalks can be used to make paper, rope, and other products. According to Ford, using a plant-based material for car interiors offsets 300,000 pounds of oil-based resins in 2012. The kenaf door bolsters are 25 percent lighter than regular bolsters, so they help with the car's fuel efficiency.

-----------------------------------------------------
ENTERTAINMENT
-----------------------------------------------------

WINSTON RILEY DIES—01/21/12
Winston Riley, Jamaican record producer and songwriter has died from the effects of a gunshot wound receive in 2011. Riley had been in a coma since the gun attack in which he was shot in the back of the head. Winston, the father of Kurt Riley, Fame FM disc jockey, had been the victim of several violent attacks. Kurt Riley said no one in the family has determined a motive for the attacks. The elder Riley was instrumental in developing the careers of Sister Nancy, Buju Banton, Cutty Ranks, Lone Ranger, and Frankie Paul.

YOUNG ARTISTS IN JAMAICA DISPLAY WORK IN VIP LOUNGE AT AIRPORT—01/22/12
The Scotia Private Client Group introduced the first of its series of art exhibitions planned for the new VIP Lounge at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston. The display is entitled "The New Generation - 7 Contemporary Artists" and features the work of celebrated young artists like Andrae Green, Ebony G. Patterson, and Khary Darby. The organization is glad to provide the sponsorship that will exposure the works of young Jamaican artists to international and local audiences.

AKON JOINS WITH MARLEYS FOR RECORDING—01/24/12
AKON, the rap star from Senegal, is the latest international artiste to combine his talents with the legendary Marley family of Jamaica. Akon plans to record new material with Damian, Stephen, and Julian Marley at Tuff Gong studios. Akon also visited the Bob Marley Museum. He has previously recorded with reggae musicians Shaggy, Mavado, and Sean Paul.

JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL FEATURES BOBBY BROWN, JOHNNY GILL—01/25/12
Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, and Ralph Tresvant, who are members of Heads of State, are scheduled to perform at the 2012 JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival in Montego Bay. Also ready to perform at the event is Damian Marley. The three R&B crooners are likely to perform their solo works as well as their group pieces.

------------------
SPORTS
------------------

JAMAICA WINS T20 VERSUS WINDWARD ISLANDS—01/21/12
Jamaica won the first semi-final Caribbean T20 match against the Windward Islands by five wickets and 12 balls remaining. Jamaican bowlers Krishmar Santokie, Sheldon Cotterrell, and Odean Brown took two wickets and opened the door to the defeat for the Windward Islands.

RIVALRY WITH BLAKE DOWNPLAYED BY BOLT—01/22/12
Although stories abound about the rivalry between fellow sprinters Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake, Bolt said their friendship had not be affected by the competition on the track. Bolt noted that the media was trying to create controversy where none existed and wanted to clear things up. He said the rivalry would always be there because they were both great athletes, but that they enjoyed their friendship. Bolt said that if Blake wins, Jamaica wins, and that is good for the country.

METZGER APPOINTED TO PENN RELAYS BOARD—01/24/12
Dr. Geneive Brown Metzger, Jamaica's Consul General to New York, has been given a position on the Board of Friends of the Penn Relays Carnival. Her appointment went into effect on December 16, 2011. Brown Metzger is committed to helping the Friends of the Penn Relays to make stronger relationships with track and field interests in the Caribbean. The Penn Relays is the biggest, oldest, and more prestigious track and field relay meet in the world. It attracts over 18,000 athletes every year. Jamaican schools have participated in the Relays since 1964.

BOLT SCHEDULED TO RUN IN ROME—01/26/12
Usain Bolt will compete in the 100-meter race at the Golden Gala in Rome, Italy. He plans to use the race as part of his preparations for the 2012 Olympics in London. Bolt said he is training hard and that everything is going according to his plans. He will defend his Olympic titles at the summer games, and the Rome race will provide a good early-season test of his performance. He first ran in the Rome competition in 2011 and won the 100-meters with a time of 9.91 seconds, beating Asafa Powell. Rome is the first of the Diamond League season meets in Europe.

---------------------------
JAMAICAN JOBS
---------------------------

CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENTS

DATA COLLECTIONS OFFICER

CAKE DECORATOR/PASTRY CHEF

SALES EXECUTIVE

FACTORY PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR

Visit JAMAICAN JOBS.

---------------------------------------------------------------
DEVOTIONAL
----------------------------------------------------------------
Do You Know Where Jesus Is?

If you were the parents of Jesus, how easy would it have been to lose track of Him and His whereabouts? As hard as it is to imagine, that is exactly what happened to Mary and Joseph. According to Luke's narrative, "when [Jesus] was twelve years old, [he and His parents] went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it" (Luke 2:42-43, KJV). Surprisingly, "they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him" (vv.44-45).

One would have thought that given the fact that Jesus was no ordinary child, He being the Son of God (Luke 1:35), His parents would have ensured He was always in their sight. Angels both proclaimed and announced His birth, and in the stable where He was born, the visiting shepherds had "told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed. Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself" (vv. 18-19, The Message). Yet despite the treasure entrusted to them, they had lost track of Him who was the Saviour, Christ the Lord (v. 11). The narrative continues, "And it came to pass, that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions" (v. 46). Interestingly, "when they saw Him, they were amazed: and His mother said unto Him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing" (v.48). Was it His fault that they, His parents, did not know where He was?

For more than seventy-two hours, Mary and Joseph had no interaction with Jesus. Yet in a strange way, their first day's behaviour mirrors that of some of us as believers. We go about our day-to-day lives without any contact with Jesus, assuming that He is among "kinsfolk and acquaintance" and that when we come together for fellowship, He will be there. However, our relationship with Jesus is a personal one; we cannot expect others to "keep" Him for us. Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday living, we can be easily distracted and lose sight of the One we should keep our eyes on. However, We cannot afford to, and should not try to, go one day without knowing He is with us.

How can we "lose" Him? By ignoring Him and ignoring spending time with Him. It is not He who has moved, but rather we who have moved away from Him. Maintaining a relationship with Christ requires diligence and sacrifice. As we pause for communication and fellowship, we may not be able to move as fast as the rest of the crowd. But it is better to be moving in step with Jesus than to be rushing ahead without Him. There is nothing in life that is not worth the wait. Do you know where Jesus is? His parents "turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him." If you have lost sight of Him, that is a good example to follow. If you search diligently, you will find Him. If He is right beside you, keep Him close. He is the One person you cannot afford to not know where He is.

CEW

-----------------------------------------------------------------
CREDITS/SOURCES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The weekly news is compilation of new articles from top Caribbean and Jamaican news sources.

Jamaican Jobs week ending January 27th, 2012

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:54:52 UT

JOB TITLE: CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENTS

Location: Montego Bay and St. James and surrounding areas

Qualifications: Must be 18 years and over; At least 3 C.X.C. or equivalent including English Language; Must possess a valid Jamaica ID (Passport, National ID or Drivers License); 1-2 years previous customer service experience in a call center environment; Must be able to type at least 17 WPM; Excellent communication verbal / written; Strong customer service orientation; Strong Time Management skills; Strong Soft Skills; Results oriented; Ability to multitask and navigate; Strong attention to detail; Quality focused; Strong decision making skills; Strong problem solving skills; Team player. MUST BE ABLE TO WORK A FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE WHICH INCLUDES WORKING UNTIL 1:00AM.

Contact: Human Resource Manager, The Staffing Specialist, AllianceOne, Building 8, Freeport, Montego Bay

JOB TITLE: DATA COLLECTIONS OFFICER

Location: North Shore areas

Description: Execute field services initiative

Qualifications: Minimum of 3 C.X.C. subjects and should include English Language; A minimum of one year data Compilation working experience; Strong written and oral communication skills; Should be computer literate; Should reside in the following territories St. Mary, St. Ann, Trelawny, St. James, Hanover and Westmoreland; A reliable motor vehicle could be an asset.

Contact: feildservices@hotmail.com

Application Deadline: January 31, 2012

JOB TITLE: CAKE DECORATOR/PASTRY CHEF

Location: St. Catherine

Description: Cake decoration, pastry baking

Qualifications: Supervisory experience

Contact: 27 East Street, Old Harbor, St. Catherine

Application Deadline: January 31, 2012

JOB TITLE: Sales Executive

Location: Kingston and St Andrew

Description: Develop and effect sales plans; Offer professional customer service delivery

Qualifications: Possess effective oral and written communication skills; Possess excellent time management and decision making skills; Be able to work extensively on own initiative; Own a reliable motor car; Previous experience in the sale of technology & safety products/ services is an advantage; Be willing to work on a commissions basis (advances available); Have a minimum of 4 CXCs (having a Degree is an advantage).

Contact: Human Resources Manager. One Touch Solution

Application Deadline: February 3, 2012.

JOB TITLE: Factory Production Supervisor

Location: St. Catherine

Description: Supervise bread and pastry making

Qualifications: 6 CXC subjects ranges 1or 2, Mathematics & English Language included; 3 years supervisory experience in the food industry preferably baking; Must be between the ages of 30 & 45; Knowledge of bread & pastry making at a factory level; Ability to motivate & manage a team of 25 employees.

Contact: 27 East Street, Old Harbor, St. Catherine

Application Deadline: January 31, 2012

Jamaican Jobs

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:37:43 UT

Mike Field Jazz Quintet – New Works Premiere!, February 10, 2012, Toronto

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:20:00 UT

WHO: The Mike Field Jazz Quintet

WHAT: Mike and the band perform exciting new repertoire!

WHERE: Dominion On Queen, 500 Queen Street East, Toronto, On / (416) 368-6893

WHEN: Friday, February 10 @ 8:00-11:00 pm

TICKETS: $10 Door

WEBSITE: www.mikefieldjazz.com / www.dominiononqueen.com

Details: Trumpeter MIKE FIELD and his jazz quintet are already set to wow audiences with new material – and all this, just on the heels of their debut CD release of ASHES. These virtuoso players drive their original tunes with improvisation and energy, enthralling and entertaining audiences to the max. The band will take the stage at Dominion on Queen from 8:00-11:00 pm.

Toronto-based trumpeter and composer Mike Field and his quintet don’t waste any time. They’ve already moved on to new and innovative material that they are eager to present to their growing fan base. Still, they are sure to include some tunes from their debut CD ASHES, a collection of nine instrumental tracks that delivers a deep and penetrating array of textures and sounds. Playful and sometimes melancholic melodies from Field’s introspective mind are shaped and arranged to suit the traditional jazz quintet, which includes exceptional players like Carlie Howell on upright bass, Dave Chan on drums, Paul Metcalfe on tenor saxophone and Matt Newton playing piano on the recording while pianist Teri Parker joins the band for live performances. The album features plenty of groove, as well as a completely unrecognizably transformed swinging major blues to minor blues tune called “The Upstanding Translator” and there’s even a waltz!

Field can be frequently heard playing with various bands at local concert venues such as The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, The El Mocambo and The Rex. He has toured Canada three times (with rock/funk band Jay Spectre), played the Beaches Jazz Festival in Toronto and in New Zealand (where his trumpet can be heard in the experimental bossa-nova collective The Inverts). He is also in the well-known reggae collective High Plains Drifter, playing numerous local Bob Marley and Peter Tosh tribute shows.

9 Mile Music Festival - March 3, 2012, Miami, Florda

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:15:00 UT

Release Date: March 3, 2012

About: This reggae music event is more than just your average "concert", it has a commitment to doing good and spreading love. The 9 Mile Music Festival is responsible for collecting over two (2) million canned goods over its 18 year span.

Description: The 9 Mile Music Festival began as a labor of love, Pioneered by, Cedella Marley Booker. Over the years the festival has had other names including "The Caribbean Music Festival" finally evolving into what is known as the 9 Mile Music Festival today. Keeping in alignment with its Namesake, This reggae music event is more than just your average "concert", it has a commitment to doing good and spreading love. The 9 Mile Music Festival is responsible for collecting over two (2) million canned goods over its 18 year span, in an effort to continuously give back to its community. Four canned goods are required for entry, along with a purchased admission; the canned goods collected are then distributed to shelters in Miami & Jamaica.

Website: http://www.9MileMusicFestival.com

Coca-Cola Launches The 2012 Coca-Cola Rhythm

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:10:00 UT

Coca-Cola has released the second official Coca-Cola Rhythm in time for Carnival 2012. The rhythm features an all star line up on a groovy soca beat developed by Kernal Roberts.

Coca-Cola has always been a refreshing delight to people all across the globe since 1886. The 2012 Coca-Cola Rhythm builds on the optimistic refreshment platform which embodies Coke’s Open Happiness mantra.

This new rhythm features an amazing group of artistes including: Benjai, Lil Bitts, Umi Marcano, Screws and Devon Matthews. Their talent brought to life the Rhythm objective - to share happiness, build excitement and really enjoy Carnival as Trinbangonians do with Soca Music.

According to Franchise Brand Manager, Mr. Roberto Lapeira, “Coca-Cola is pleased to have to opportunity to share its second Carnival Rhythm with Trinidad and Tobago. We are always trying to find innovative ways to really connect with the public and with the success of the last rhythm, we knew we had to bring something even more amazing this year. Kernal Roberts took the challenge and brought a fantastic, new groovy soca sound that includes our trademark Coca-Cola five tones and makes you want to dance in the street this Carnival.”

Gov't Assessing Economic Impact Of Tourism

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:50:00 UT

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, said that the Government and tourism stakeholders are examining the contribution of the sector to the country’s development through several studies.

“At present, our Ministry is conducting a study of the economic impact of the tourism sector, which is scheduled for completion in April of this year,” he informed.

This, he said, is in addition to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica’s (STATIN) Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), which is tool to measure the contribution of the sector; and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association’s (JHTA) study on travel and tourism as a driver of economic development.

The Minister, who was addressing an Investments and Capital Markets conference on Wednesday Jan. 25 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, said the research “will go a long way towards providing the empirical evidence and the data that we need to assist the Government and the private sector in designing the appropriate policies that can steer this high growth, high earnings sector to the benefit of the economy and the wider society”

He noted however that while these studies were important tools in measuring the contributions of the industry, more statistical information is needed to guide the development of the industry.

To this end, he assured that the Government is working to have local travel and tourism statistics readily available, to provide a truer picture of the sector’s growth and contributions.

Hosted by the Jamaica Stock Exchange, the three-day regional conference, now in its seventh year, is being held under the theme: ‘Forging Alliances: Opportunities Amidst the Crises’. Minister McNeill spoke on the topic: ‘The Tourism Sector: Help or Hindrance to Employment and the Agricultural Sector?’

Geared towards the business community, the conference focuses on areas of local, regional and global interest by discussing how economies can be positioned to capitalise on opportunities presented and how organisations can facilitate the growth and development of countries.

Some 700 Jamaicans To Be Employed Under Road Maintenance Project

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:00:00 UT

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller (right); and Minister of Transport, Works and Housing, Hon. Dr. Omar Davies (2nd right) greet residents of St. Ann, who turned out for the launch of the Routine Road Maintenance Project for the North Coast Highway, at Salem in Runaway Bay. The project will see some 700 persons engaged in the cleaning and beautification of sections of the highway as well as drains.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, on Wednesday Jan. 25 launched the Performance-based Routine Road Maintenance Project for the North Coast Highway, which will provide meaningful employment for some 700 persons from seven parishes.

The US$10 million project, which will be carried out over a two-year period, was made possible through partnership between the government and the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) financed Road Improvement Programme. Work is scheduled to get underway immediately.

Persons selected for employment will benefit from preparation and training through the HEART Trust/NTA and the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), enabling them to perform quality work in the cleaning and beautification of sections of the 230-kilometre roadway stretching from Negril, Westmoreland to Port Antonio, Portland, as well as critical drains.

Addressing the thousands of participants at the launching ceremony held at Salem in Runaway Bay, St. Ann, the Prime Minister made it clear that the initiative being undertaken is not the much-talked about Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP), but one with a similar concept “that will create productive work for our people”.

She informed that in the weeks ahead, aspects of JEEP will be rolled out, particularly in the areas of agriculture, construction, transportation, and information, communication technology.

Mrs. Simpson Miller expressed gratitude to the IDB for approving the project, which she said, is geared towards providing much support for road safety in Jamaica.

“Road safety is very important. We are having too many serious accidents on our roads and so I want to thank the IDB for placing a focus in this programme… (and) for its continued assistance in helping us realize our national development goals,” she stated.

The Prime Minister assured the organisation’s Resident Representative, Ansel Brewster, “of the highest level of probity and integrity in the execution and management of this programme."

The road maintenance project will be carried out by the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing and the National Works Agency (NWA), with the NSWMA to have responsibility for engaging both skilled and unskilled labour from communities through which the highway passes.

“I want to say to those who will be working on this programme and I want to make it absolutely clear, that the NSWMA will ensure that the work undertaken is done to the highest standards at all times. This is not a programme for persons to come and sit and do nothing. It will be executed in good order and will deliver value for money to the Jamaican people,” the Prime Minister stated.

She expressed the hope that the project will be implemented without too much inconvenience to motorist and the travelling public.

Harbour Heights For ODPEM Project

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:55:00 UT

Harbour Heights, a community overlooking Harbour View in the hills of East Rural St Andrew, will be the first to benefit from a pilot landslide mitigation project, to be implemented by the Office of Disaster Management and Preparedness (ODPEM).

Titled the Jamaica Landslide Risk Reduction Project, it is being financed by a US$2.37 million grant from the Japanese Social Development Fund, an affiliate of the World Bank. The programme is slated to cover four communities over a three year period, beginning with Harbour Heights.

Project coordinator at ODPEM, Kirk Frankson, told JIS News that Harbour Heights, a former Operation Pride settlement, was chosen because it met the criteria of a compact settlement with residents at risk and vulnerable.

The mitigation project will include the plotting (with the aid of GPS technology and local ‘lay-of-the-land knowledge), outlining and erecting of a series of drains, gutters, channels and rainwater harvesting strategies that will act as natural hazard intervention techniques.

“We’ve actually completed the process of creating the community hazard map and are completing a proposed drainage plan. We’ve engaged the community in several sensitization sessions and workshops,” Mr. Frankson said.

The works programme in Harbour Heights is scheduled to start in another three months. Itaims to reduce the risk of natural disasters in vulnerable communities.

The concept is based on the Management of Slope Stability in Communities (MoSSaiC) methodology, developed by a team of researchers from the University of Bristol, Professor Malcolm Anderson and Dr. Elizabeth Holcombe. It was first implemented in St. Lucia, which had a similar landslide problem.

According to Mr. Frankson, one unique aspect of the project is the employment opportunities for persons the residents.

“So, we’ll be doing significant community-based contracting, where we create short-term employment for persons in the community and, through a multiplier effect, ensure that the community benefits from the process,” he said.

Mr. Frankson noted that experience has taught that when implementation of projects is done by communities, it creates a level of sustainability for the development, as the residents take some level of responsibility and are more likely to protect and maintain it.

Government Open To Options In Talks With IMF - Finance Minister

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:50:00 UT

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips

The Government will consider a number of options, including a Staff Monitored Programme, during the upcoming negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new agreement.

This was disclosed by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips, during an interview with JIS News, Thursday Jan. 26.

“Nothing is off the table, except that we want to have an agreement that will build confidence in the investment community and among all stakeholders,” the Minister explained.

Providing clarification with respect to the need for further balance of payment support from the Fund, the Minister said that while the country does not have a pressing balance of payment problem at this time, any new IMF agreement will serve to enhance investor confidence and generate the release of other funds from the country’s bi-lateral and multilateral partners.

“We don’t have an urgent balance of payment problem and the IMF lends money primarily for balance of payment support. That is not what drives us, even though we certainly need some support, and that (support) won’t be triggered, unless we have a good IMF programme for the most part, neither from our multilateral partners, nor from our bilateral partners,” he explained.

The country’s multilateral partners include the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Jamaica enjoys bilateral relations with sovereign states and jurisdictions, such as the European Union.

According to Dr. Phillips, the technical work which the Ministry and its agencies are undertaking, will inform the negotiations and the choice of an appropriate option.

“We are going to enter the negotiations with the IMF and we have a range of options available to us, including a staff monitored programme. We are going to look at the options when the negotiations get to that intensive stage, but much more technical work needs to be done...looking at the projections going forward,” he stated.

With respect to the lingering economic challenges facing many European countries as well as the slower than expected recovery of the US economy and the rest of the developed world, the Finance Minister acknowledged that those developments would pose challenges to the Jamaican economy.

"It's clear from the report of the IMF and the Management of the World Bank, that they are projecting slower growth for the world economy... that will create difficulties for Jamaica. It might mean lower demand for some of our exports; it might mean slower remittance of earnings from Jamaicans overseas...depending on their personal situation,” he said.

The Minister said that with the challenges posed by the prospect of a deepening global economic downturn, it is critical for the country to find ways to grow its economy.

"Overall, we will have to redouble our efforts to export more, to seek new markets, particularly in areas that are not as affected greatly by the recession; we will have to try and source investment funds from other places that are not going to be as affected by the recession as the United States and Europe," the Minister said.

He further explained that it will also mean tighter expenditure and a more prudent management of the country’s financial resources.

"It means that we will have to manage our resources... reduce waste and spend only what we are able to secure through revenues, because we have to sustain stability in the economy and reduce the debt, so that we can get out of this debt trap that is slowing down our capacity to grow as a country. It will be difficult in the near term, particularly if the recession is a deep one, but I think in the end, we can lay the foundation for a better future for all our people," Dr. Phillips said.

With respect to the extent to which expenditure cuts will be reflected in the soon to be rolled out Supplementary Estimates, the Minister explained that it is early days yet. “We can’t say at this time, but thankfully, we are close to the end of the fiscal year, so I think that even as we cut, I don’t expect too much disruption to the activities that are going on,” he said.

“We would rather expand than cut, but we have a responsibility to the country and most of all to our children’s future, to ensure that Jamaica has a strong economic foundation going forward, and we can’t build that foundation on just borrowing money to meet our basic expenses,” the Minister emphasised.

Mona Sewage Extension Works Get Underway In Two Weeks

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:50:00 UT

Work on the National Water Commission's (NWC) sewerage extension project, in the vicinity of Mona, St. Andrew, is set to get underway in two weeks.

The $54 million project, which falls under the NWC’s Sewage Development Programme, will involve construction of a number of PVC sanitary sewers, manholes and side road laterals on a number of streets leading off Mona Road.

These include: Gerbera Drive, Palmoral Avenue, Sunflower Way, Spathodia Avenue, Garden Boulevard, Mona Mews, Ponner Pen Lane, and a short segment along Hope Road.

Director of Communications at the NWC, Charles Buchannan, informed that the Mona system will be linked to the recently commissioned Soapberry Wastewater Treatment Plant in St. Catherine, to enable better treatment.

He told JIS News that work was already undertaken in the Mona area, but the expansion works involve putting in additional lines to enable the NWC to collect sewage from private premises and to properly treat it in one central location.

He informed that the project forms part of the Commission’s continued thrust to expand its services in areas where population density and improper disposal of sewage pose serious risks to water supply, as well as to public health.

“The development of sewerage systems is mainly to protect public health and reduce the risk of improper disposal and treatment of sewage. It also protects the environment from the harmful effects of sewage that is improperly disposed of or treated. Infrastructural services such as these, aid economic development by facilitating and generating economic activity,” Mr. Buchanan stated.

The contract has been awarded to BAJAD Ltd, and will be executed over a five-month period.

Mr. Buchanan said the work will be carefully monitored and supervised to ensure that it is in keeping with the environmental standards set by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), and is in keeping with NWC’s mandate to safeguard public health.

Miss Lou Reading Festival Celebrates Jamaica’s 50th Anniversary With Pantomime, February 11, 2012, Pembroke Pines

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:40:00 UT

Persons attending the fifth annual Louise Bennett-Coverley Reading Festival will enjoy an evening of rich cultural performances to be staged on Saturday (February 11, 2012) at the South Regional Broward College Library in Pembroke Pines.

The show titled “Fifty years A We Kulcha – Pantomime to Ring-Ding” will celebrate Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of Independence, as well as observe February as Black History Month, among the several activities planned at the Library.

Under the patronage of Jamaica’s Consul General, Sandra Grant Griffiths, the milestone event will feature special guest, the eminent Marjorie Whylie, an ethnomusicologist, and musical director of the National Dance Theatre Company. Oftentimes described as a ‘national treasure’, Ms. Whylie, is also known for her long and close association as performer and student with the late Hon. Louise Bennett Coverley.

The annual Reading Festival was started in 2007 by Mrs. Norma Darby, former Executive Director of the Jamaica Folk Revue, following the death of the Hon. Louise Bennett Coverley, O.J. who passed away at age 86 years old in Toronto, Canada. Ms. Lou was buried at the Jamaica’s National Heroes Park in Kingston.

According to Mrs. Darby, “as we celebrate Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of Independence, here in the Diaspora, the performers at the Festival will interpret significant works of our esteemed Miss Lou through acts of song, dance and drama.” The Reading Festival, over the years, has explored and addressed the immense influence the works of the late Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley has had on Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora.

The event is free to the public and will also include performances from a selection of notable Jamaican artists from the South Florida Diasporic community who had worked with the Jamaican cultural icon and international renowned folklorist, comedienne, author, and social commentator during her long and expansive career. They are Dr. Ivy Armstrong, poet and public speaker, Dr. Susan Davis, actress, poet and educator, Geoffrey Philp, author and educator, and Malachi Smith, dub poet. Other performers expected to participate will also include the Jamaica Folk

Revue chorale, the Tallawah Mento Band and the Body Nation Dance Theatre.

Proceeds from sales of Miss Lou’s works – books, CDs, and other memorabilia will continue to support of the Louise Bennett Coverley Scholarship tenable at the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston. The scholarship was named, posthumously, in honor of Jamaica’s cultural ambassador and is awarded to a student at the college pursuing studies in the performing arts. To date, six students have been recipients of the scholarship at the Schools of Drama and Dance, and Music.

Ms. Valrie Simpson, Regional Library Manager at Broward’s South Regional –Broward College campus has said that the Friends of the Library and the Broward College are pleased to partner in the annual Cultural Tribute saluting the legacy of Jamaica’s cultural ambassador and that Nation’s significant milestone of Independence. Other supporting organizations include the Broward College, Friends of the Broward Library, the Jamaican Folk Revue and the Jamaica Tourist Board.

Two Seasons Talking Trees Literary Fiesta 2012 - Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica - February 25, 2012

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:25:00 UT

Two Seasons Guest House in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth will be the place to be for lovers of the written and spoken word for the second staging of Two Seasons Talking Trees Literary Fiesta, on February 25, 2012. Talking Trees is part of the Treasure Beach Culturefest 2012, a special celebration for Black History month and Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of independence. Special partner for the literary stage is JAMCOPY – the Jamaican copyright licensing agency.

The line-up is a stimulating mix of well-known and new Jamaican writers, who will begin to tell their stories at 10 a.m. The poetic voices of Michael Abrahams, Malachi Smith, Easton Lee, Christine Craig, Kalilah Enriquez and Fabian Thomas will be joined by folklorist Fern Luecke and novelist Melanie Schwapp and non-fiction writers Mark Thomas and Fabian Brown.

Playwright Aston Cooke will give a first taste of his production written especially for Jamaica’s 50th Independence celebrations.

The focus of the panel discussion is Writing for Children, and panelists are children’s writers Diane Brown, Jean Forbes, Kellie Magnus, and Sharon Martini. Suzanne Francis Brown will be the moderator.

A children’s programme will run simultaneously through the day managed by Ingrid Blackwood.

Books and CDs by the authors and second hand books will be on sale, as well as food and drink.
The first staging of Two Seasons Talking Trees was in May 2011.

The Business of Sport in Jamaica, January 26, 2012, New York City

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:15:00 UT

WHAT: The Jamaican-American Chamber of Commerce And Jamaica Diaspora USA invite you to a forum on "The Business of Sport in Jamaica" presentation by Carole Beckford, journalist and author of "Keeping Jamaica's Sport on Track”

SPECIAL GUESTS: Jamaican Track & Field Olympians, Veronica Campbell-Brown And Asafa Powell

WHEN: Thursday, January 26, 2012, 6:00pm to 8:30pm

WHERE: The Jamaican Consulate General
767 Third Avenue at 47th Street
New York City

Clonmel Potters At Harmony Hall, February 5, 2012

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:45:00 UT

WHAT: Harmony Hall invite you to view recent works by the Clonmel Potters with opening remarks by Mr Jason Sharp, Director, Coffee Traders Ltd. There will be complimentary cocktails, handicraft in the garden, and lunch will be available at Toscanini's.

WHEN: Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 12 noon until March 2, 2012

WHERE: Harmony Hall

Parliament Remembers Dudley Thompson

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:50:00 UT

The late Ambassador, the Hon. Dudley Thompson, will be accorded an official funeral by the Government of Jamaica.

This was disclosed by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, on Tuesday (January 24), during a parliamentary tribute to Ambassador Thompson in the House of Representatives. She said details of the funeral will be announced at a later date.

Ambassador Thompson died on Friday (Jan. 20) one day after his 95th birthday.

In her tribute, Mrs. Simpson Miller noted that the late Ambassador had a distinguished diplomatic career and served as Jamaica’s envoy to West Africa, specifically to Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Namibia.

“He was regarded as a world citizen; a Pan Africanist to the core and a freedom fighter. Mr. Thompson was a well-respected diplomat and a consummate statesman, who had the distinction of being considered a friend... (by) African leaders,” Mrs. Simpson Miller said.

She stated that as a dedicated politician and public servant, he was awarded the Order of Jamaica for distinguished service in the field of International Affairs.

She said he was a “serious liberationist”, who contributed significantly to the independence struggles in Belize and the Bahamas and was an integral part of the team which crafted and implemented the laws, which led to the social transformation of Jamaica during the 1970s.

“In spite of all his accomplishments, he was a decent human being, who placed himself firmly on the side of the marginalised and oppressed and dedicated his life to the development of his people,” Mrs. Simpson Miller stated.

Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Andrew Holness, in his contribution, said Ambassador Thompson had made significant contribution to national development.

“I want to pay tribute to him firstly as a nationalist par excellence. He was prominent among those who searched passionately for the Jamaican identity and for whom Jamaica was the centre of his being. He served his country with passion and distinction. It is often stated that we do not choose our roles in life but we have a duty to play them well. Ambassador Thompson played many roles and he played them all very well,” he added.

Born in Panama on January 19, 1917 to Daniel and Ruby Thompson, Ambassador Thompson was a life member of the People’s National Party (PNP), and was elected Chairman of the PNP in 1979.

He was a PNP Senator in the years 1962-1978, and was leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives in 1978. He served as Member of Parliament for St. Andrew Western from 1978 to 1983; Minister of National Security in 1978; Minister of Mining and Natural Resources from 1977 to 1978 and Minister of State, with the responsibility for Foreign Affairs from 1972-1975.

Mr. Thompson was Jamaica’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Namibia. He was Jamaica’s chief representative in the conference on the Law of the Sea and played a leading role in securing Jamaica as the permanent headquarters for the International Seabed Authority. He also introduced the Office of the Ombudsman to Jamaica.

At the time of his death, Mr. Thompson was the President of the World Africa Diaspora Union.

Discussion On Jamaica's 50th Year Of Independence And Cultural Quiz Bowl Highlight JAMCCAR'S Celebration Of Black History Month At Monthly Meeting On February 10, 2012

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:45:01 UT

Irish And Chin Announces World Clash R.E.S.E.T.

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:45:00 UT

World Clash is turning a new leaf for it's thrilling return in 2012, as part of Irish and Chin's year-long 15th Anniversary celebration. While the street's buzz for World Clash is immense, Irish and Chin recently announced big plans for the epic sound clashes to be held on Saturday, April 7 @ Amazura in Queens, New York and Monday, April 9 @ Pier 1 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The return of World Clash is being fueled by Irish and Chin's R.E.S.E.T. (Restoring, Exciting, Sound System, Entertainment Together) campaign, which was recently launched on their weekly Sound Chat Internet radio show. R.E.S.E.T. aims to bring back excitement to sound system entertainment on a global scale. Some major components of the campaign involve the creation of a unified arena for juggling and clash sounds, the admission of 45s (non dubplate recordings) in sound clashes and less profanity in competitions.

To address the incorporation of establishing a unified arena in the R.E.S.E.T. campaign, Irish and Chin co-owner Garfield "Chin" Bourne says "The global presence, which was once governed by Dancehall's top sound systems has become dormant, as both the juggling and clash sectors of the industry have suffered a decline in bookings and global visibility."

The promoter adds "In order to regain the position that sound systems once had, moving forward, it would be advantageous to create one arena, consisting of juggling and clash sounds/selectors. This fusion will allow Dancehall fans to experience a mixture of hardcore and bashment entertainment in one setting, ultimately resulting in a tremendous increase in patronage."

Irish and Chin's R.E.S.E.T. campaign has been a very hot topic on their weekly Sound Chat Internet radio show, the 45 concept initially spawned intense discussions from key sound system players, owners and fans. Regarding 45s, to date, most of the people canvassed wholeheartedly support the concept. However, there are those that stay true to dubplate only clashes -- suggesting that 45s may water down the clash.

"I came up with the R.E.S.E.T. campaign to establish a formal vehicle of bringing positive changes to the sound system arena as a whole," says Garfield "Chin" Bourne. "My ultimate goal is to help ensure the longevity of this very unique and historical sport ...I chose to incorporate 45s into the campaign, as it has become extremely apparent that inflating dub plate prices and a lack of discovering new talent could eventually kill the craft."

Numerous historical sound system figures have endorsed the return of 45s, indicating that 45 records were an essential component of the early sound clash era. A recent caller also brought up a very valid point: the return of 45s could possibly bring women back to the currently male-dominated clash arena. Ultimately, most women in the Dancehall appreciate hearing music that they can recognize and sing along to.

To round off plans for R.E.S.E.T., Irish and Chin would like to see an arena that is ripe with talent and limited on profanity. This will allow there to be more focus on the entertainment and musical aspects of it all. Toning down profanity will also allow the culture to have a wider audience and greater marketing opportunities. Irish and Chin fully recognizes that explicit language has been a major element of hardcore sound clash entertainment, but admits that sometimes it goes too far.

Irish and Chin is currently hard at work crafting a stellar line up for the World Clash events, which will likely involve clash and juggling sounds. While a dream team of sounds is being identified, the World Clash promoters will continue to publicize the clash's return and educate fans on their R.E.S.E.T. campaign. Because so many fans are contacting Irish and Chin about the highly anticipated World Clash, there will soon be early bird tickets for the New York staging for sale on Irishandchin.com.

Govt Invites Region To Expo Jamaica 2012

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:45:00 UT

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Reginald Budhan (2nd right), has the ear of Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton (2nd left), during the media launch of Expo Jamaica 2012, at the Wyndham Hotel, in New Kingston, on January 24. Others are (from left): President of the Jamaica Exporters’ Association, Vitus Evans, and President of the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA), Brian Pengelley.

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon Anthony Hylton, says government intends to strengthen regional linkages to ensure balance and equity in treaty arrangements with CARICOM/CARIFORUM partners.

Mr. Hylton noted that Jamaica’s approach to strengthening regional cooperation and commercial linkages were priorities for both the Prime Minister and himself.

“It is one that has my full and complete endorsement,” he told the media launch of Expo Jamaica 2012, at the Wyndham Hotel in New Kingston, Tuesday (January 24).

Mr. Hylton added that working with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, his Ministry would be taking a robust approach to regional trade arrangements.

“We intend to ensure that the Jamaican consumer and business sector realize the full benefit of these arrangements. It is no secret that there have been challenges in this regard in recent years,” he asserted.

Mr. Hylton stressed that the government would ensure that the balance and equity on which the treaties were established, would be achieved. He noted that details of this move would be expanded on in coming weeks.

He said the Ministry would initiate a sustained programme of economic diplomacy in the first instance.

“Our objective is to ensure that the benefits and the burdens associated with regional trade are equitably shared by all nations in the region. Ours will be a firm collegiate overture to our trading partners in the region,” he stated.

He added that, in this context of friendly cooperation, he has requested that regional Ministers of Commerce be made aware of Expo 2012, with a view to having them bring or send trade delegations to the Expo.

“In particular, I am extending the hand of regional partnership to colleague ministers in Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic, with which we have begun a process of dialogue for strengthened trade relations,” he said.

Mr. Hylton informed that he had also requested that these delegations be invited to Jamaica’s premier investment event, the Jamaica Investment Forum, which is to be held in Montego Bay March 1-2. Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, will host it in partnership with the IDB.

Some 85 buyers from 11 countries are already registered, including regional countries such as Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada, and others as far away as Hungary and Africa. Twenty-three local buyers are also now registered, including purchasing teams from local hotels and attractions.

Genie-Nominated Filmmaker To Receive T&T Award

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:00:02 UT

Ian Harnarine, the award winning Trinidadian-Canadian filmmaker, will receive an Award of Recognition from the Government of Trinidad & Tobago for his outstanding contribution to film, at the CaribbeanTales Youth Film Festival Gala, co-hosted with TIFF, on February 4, 2012. The Gala celebrates the fiftieth anniversaries of both Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, and will also feature the Canadian premiere of Jamaican film Better Mus Come

Harnarine’s short film Doubles with Slight Pepper, an Official Selection at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, won Best Canadian Short at TIFF 2011, and is currently touring Canada as part of a select group of Canadian films known as Canada's Top Ten. And in January 2012, Doubles was nominated for a Genie (the Canadian equivalent of the Oscars). The Genies take place in March in Toronto.

The film tells the story of Dhani, a street vendor in Trinidad, who struggles to reconcile his relationship with his father who has just returned from Canada, before the latter dies. Poetic dialogue and compelling characters shape this story of the contemporary immigrant experience.

Harnarine developed Doubles as an alumnus of the CaribbeanTales Incubator Program (CIPAVE) in 2010. The intensive program, that helps filmmakers to develop market ready content, also introduced the US-based filmmaker to potential partners from around the region. Shortly afterwards, the film was shot in Trinidad, with partial funding from the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company, and starring Trinidadian actors Errol Sitahal, Sanjiv Boodhu, and Susan Hannays-Abraham.

""I am humbled and grateful that the Government of Trinidad & Tobago has chosen to bestow this incredible honour upon me. Without the financial assistance of the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company, and the unwavering support of CaribbeanTales, this film would not have been possible. I am deeply thankful for the opportunity to share a bit of Trinidad & Tobago's rich culture with the world."

The son of Trinidadian immigrants, Ian Harnarine grew up in Toronto, and attended York University where he earned a BA in Physics and Astronomy. He moved to Chicago for his Master’s degree in Nuclear Physics. Bored with his chosen profession, he settled in Brooklyn and became a filmmaker at NYU’s Graduate Film School. He is currently on the Faculty at NYU in both the Physics Department and the Tisch School of Film.

The Award for Outstanding Contribution to Film will be presented by the High Commissioner for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in Canada His Excellency Philip Buxo on the occasion of the CaribbeanTales Youth Film Festival Gala Brunch, co-hosted with TIFF, at TIFF Bell Lightbox on Feb 4, 2012.

Name: CaribbeanTales Youth Film Festival | Gala, Brunch & Canadian Premiere of Better Mus’ Come
Date: February 4, 2012 at 12pm
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox
Tickets: CaribbeanTales-events.coms

Honorable R. Danny William Addresses South Florida Alumni Association

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:45:00 UT

Chairman of the Jamaica College Foundation, the Honorable R. Danny William addressed the Jamaica College Old Boys Association (JCOBAFL) at their Annual General Meeting in Miramar, Florida, January 14th, 2012.

Mr. Williams provided an update to the JCOBAFL members of the efforts by the Jamaica College Foundation and school board to continue to improve the school.

He admonished members to continue to play a role in helping the school as they try to educate young men who will eventually play a crucial role in nation building.

“You can play a part in molding these young men,” said Mr. Williams, as he discussed the difficulty facing many students who are from single parent homes with no male figure to guide them in their formative years. He further elaborated on the school's welfare program and the cadre of guidance counselors, social workers and the Dean of discipline, which are required to attend to the ever-increasing demands of the student populous exposed to the ills of a society that they are a part of. The main area of need is that of the challenges faced by students due to absentee fathers and overburdened mothers.

The talk was well received by the attendees, with many pledging to renew the scope & extent of their involvement with the Florida chapter and to do their part in advancing the welfare of Jamaica College, and by extension, Jamaica.

The Jamaica College Old Boys Association Jamaica College Foundation presented Mr. Williams with a check for $1000 (US) for the Jamaica College Foundation.

ReggaeMusic Expo, February 2012, Jamaica

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:45:01 UT

WHAT: ReggaeMusic Expo

WHEN: February 2012

WEHRE: Falmouth Jamaica

MORE INFO: The month’s event will be staged at the Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium and will offer a dynamic forum. It will present technologies and opportunities in the digital space. Addressing the needs of the technology, investment and music industries in a way that involve and benefit the future of all industries.

Featuring:
· Networking Receptions
· Live Performances
· New and Innovative Tech Demos
. . . And More!

The experience is supported by an aggressive marketing plan that reaches the affluent entertainment industry executives, the music developers and the rights holder communities via eblasts, social marketing, additional printed collateral, integrated press and publicity efforts and so much more! Make sure your brand is represented!

Buy Jamaican cultural products arts & craft music and food when you all join us at Reggae in the Sun www.reggaeinthesun.com Trelawny Greenfield Stadium. Falmouth Jamaica. Booth space, artsist showcase and marketing of merchandise, transportation to and from hotels and cruise ports. Most cruise ship and hotel visitors stay on and in their accommodation. Reggae in the Sun will give them a NEW Musical Attraction for Food, Arts, craft and more. Please visit the www.reggaeinthesun.com and www.reggaemusicexpo.com. Please send on this Reggae Attraction information to all cool people, seen?

The En Sound Music Awards Heads For The Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Center, Decatur Georgia On July 29, 2012

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:10:00 UT

The En Sound Music Awards, one of Gospel's most recognized awards events of its kind, will be heading to the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Center in the city of Decatur, GA on July 29, 2012 and promises to be an evening packed with great performances and surprises.

This year, the event will be held for only one day and will honor longtime Gospel music Radio Personality, Big Brother CJ.

Founded in 2006 by independent gospel recording artist and Founder of En Sound Entertainment, Delroy Souden, this award ceremony has created a buzz on all continents and is one of the most talk-about event of its kind in Gospel music. Its purpose is to recognize independent Christian and gospel artists – who are often ignored by other awards shows that cater to major-label artists.

There's hardly a day that goes by when someone doesn't ask, "When is the next En Sound Music Awards?" or, "Are you accepting submissions for the next En Sound Music Awards?" Souden said.

Trophies will be handed out in 16 categories this year in such categories including Male Vocalist of the Year; Female Vocalist of the Year; Song of the Year and Artist of the Year and Song of the Year among others.The host of the evening will be announced in the coming weeks.

Requirements for the En Sound Music Awards include but not limited to artist visibility on the web; Internet/Terrestrial radio; press releases; blogs; interviews; album reviews; television appearances; busy performance schedules etc., and must become a member of the Christian Internet Radio Association before April 30, 2012. Artists wishing to submit their professionally produced and packaged CD releases or mp3 files to be considered, must do so no later than April 30, 2012 to:

En Sound Music Awards - PO Box 32507, Newark, NJ 07102-0907

Voting for the 2012 En Sound Music Awards will take place online and via text messaging and anyone over the age of 13 will be able to vote for his or her favorite artists. En Sound Entertainment is elated that this event will be held in Georgia, and everyone who will be in attendance can expect a spirit-filled evening that features some of the finest independent Christian artists of today.

UWI Research Days 2012 To Examine Health And Wellness Research

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:00:00 UT

Health and Wellness will be the focus as the University of the West Indies hosts its 2012 Research Days activities on Thursday, January 26 and Wednesday, January 27 on the Mona Campus. Now in its 13th year, the annual forum provides an opportunity for dialogue between researchers and students, potential investors/research collaborators, business leader policy makers locally, regionally and internationally.

This year's theme, "Promoting Health and Wellness: The UWI Mona's Innovative Approach", seeks to highlight the UWI's efforts and achievements as a teaching and research institution in advancing knowledge and the understanding of the factors that facilitate or impede health and wellness. One major highlight will be the formal unveiling of the revolutionary UWI Cardiac Surgery Simulator invention. Developed by an eminent team of researchers at the Mona Campus, the device is poised to transform the teaching of cardiac surgery globally. It is already in great demand by Ivy League Universities in across the USA and interest is being shown by universities as far afield as Australia. The Launch and Demo of the Simulator will take place on Thursday, January 26 at 9:00 am at the Undercroft of the University's Senate Building.

The 2012 Research Days exposition will showcase the University's innovations and distinguished research focus and achievements, as it seeks to maximise the application of research findings and innovations outside of the academic environment. With continuing recognition regionally and internationally of the university's excellence in research, the Mona Campus now officially presents its outstanding catalogue of research in the area of health and wellness.

Another feature of the event will be the annual American Friends of Jamaica Inc and The Cobb Family Lecture Series, which will see Dr. Parris Lyew-Ayee speaking on Addressing Road Safety Through Innovative Thinking and Technologies. The lecture takes place on Thursday, at 5:30 p.m. also at the Undercroft.

Research Days 2012 concludes with a gala awards function on Friday January 27, where presentations will be made to the most outstanding researchers for 2011.

Win A Trip To Jamaica Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:30:00 UT

The Andrew Dixon Foundation (ADF) has been working locally and internationally by developing a youth baseball league for at risk children. With the primary objective of teaching and developing self esteem and discipline for at risk children through sports and education.

Within the United States ADF was approved as the Jamaican Cal Ripken Youth League and internationally the Ministry of Education (MoE) in Jamaica, West Indies has endorsed ADF baseball program as a physical education (PE) curriculum in the primary and secondary schools. According to Mrs. Grace McLean, Jamaica Chief Education Officer “there are those who access education through academia, other through the fine arts, and yet others through sports”.

The Andrew Dixon Foundation Super Bowl Fundraiser will help to support and benefit kids locally and internationally to secure a better future.

Enter to win a trip to Jamaica at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa benefiting ADF

Place: Tilted Kilt
3155 E. Silver Springs Blvd
Ocala, Florida 34470

Date: February 5, 2012
Super Bowl Sunday Half Time

Donate: $5.00 (tickets can be purchased at tilted kilt)

Thwaites To Partner With Opposition On Education

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:55:00 UT

Minister of Education, the Hon Ronald Thwaites, congratulates students from Coronaldi Avenue Primary School in Montego Bay St. James after they has performed during his recent visit to the Montego Bay Regional Office of the Ministry of Education.

Minister of Education, the Hon Ronald Thwaites, says he will be partnering with his predecessor, Hon Andrew Holness, and Shadow Spokesperson on Education, Marissa Dalrymple Phillibert, to establish consensus on the way forward for Education.

Addressing members of staff of the Ministry’s Region 4 office in Montego Bay, during a tour of the facility, the Minister said that he is convinced that all wisdom in education does not emanate from the Ministry at National Heroes Circle, Kingston.

“I will be having breakfast with Mr. Holness next Wednesday, at my invitation, so that I can understand better some of his thinking and his ideals,” Mr. Thwaites said.

“I also want to include Mrs. Marissa Dalrymple Phillibert, the Shadow Spokesperson on Education, because you can be sure that we are going to try, as far as possible, to have a united consensus on the way forward in Education,” he added.

The Education Minister pointed out that it was important for the Ministry to lay a philosophical basis of renewal and encouragement, as all go forward in Education.

Addressing the fears of employees on the change of administration, the Minister said he will do everything to ensure that the jobs of those in the sector “who are serious and earnest and dedicated” are protected and enhanced.

“I am not interested in your political or religious persuasions… I am interested in your loyalty and your competence and your dedication,” he said.

Mr. Thwaites reiterated his call for the Ministry to begin to do better with available resources, and seek to ‘do it right the first time’, as greater emphasis and focus has to be placed on Early Childhood Education.

“I really feel that Early Childhood Education needs to be given a new standing in the educational matrix,” he said.

He stated that, to facilitate the best achievements at higher levels, the Ministry must do what must be done at the Early Childhood level.

The Minister said that continuous professional development was not an option, but an absolute necessity for everyone, and for every aspect of the education system.

Key Sectors Targeted To Drive Economic Growth

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:30:00 UT

Minister of Finance, Planning and the Public Service, Hon. Dr. Peter Phillips (at podium), addresses Mayberry's Investment Forum, held at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston recently.

The key sectors to be targeted for the generation of significant growth of the Jamaican economy are: energy; tourism; information and communications technology (ICT); micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME); divestment of public assets through the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE); the revitalization of foreign direct investment inflows, improved business facilitation and the revamping the incentives regime.

This was stated by new Minister of Finance, Planning and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips, as he updated investors on his administration’s plans to facilitate greater economic growth, during a presentation to the recently held Mayberry Investment Forum in Kingston.

Speaking to the theme, “Jamaica’s next 50 years – opportunities and challenges we face as a nation”, the minister observed that Jamaica had achieved significant gains during the past 50 years, including a reputable democratic tradition and political maturity. He also cited “national institutions such as the Bank of Jamaica, the Planning Institute of Jamaica, a strong judiciary,”… and a “strong regulatory framework for the financial sector."

The Finance Minister emphasized that the challenge for the next 50 years is creating and sustaining a cohesive, safe, peaceful and prosperous society that “will successfully compete on a global scale while maintaining our unique identity.” CEO of Mayberry Investments, Gary Peart with the Minister of Finance Dr Peter Phillips at the Mayberry Investment Forum held at the Knutsford Court Hotel on Wednesday night. (Photo: Jermaine Barnaby)

Alluding to the modest growth that has characterized the economic performance of much of the past five decades, Dr Phillips reflected that there is one aspect of the nation building project that has not been successfully realized.

“That is the ability to provide sustained economic growth, to deliver on the expectations of the Jamaican people for meaningful jobs and a good quality of life,” he said.

He argued that to compensate for the “weak growth performance” there has been a build-up of unsustainable public debt.

“This debt has now become a drag on our ability to grow faster. The debt to GDP ratio of more than 212 per cent in 1984 was reduced to about 111 per cent in 2007. The ratio climbed to about 131 per cent of GDP by the end of March 2011. The stranglehold of the national debt is impeding the provision of funding for vital social services and necessary capital investments to support growth,” he opined.

Dr. Phillips also pointed to recent “breaches that contributed to the breakdown of trust between Jamaica and our international partners over the last year”.

The Minister of Finance is currently engaged in “preliminary” discussions with visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials, to arrive at an appropriate arrangement.

“The IMF Programme, which expires May 2012, has not been completed because various critical structural benchmarks and targets were delayed or missed. An entirely new programme now has to be negotiated and new targets set focusing on growing the economy. The failure to successfully complete the Stand-by Arrangement resulted in the non-disbursement of multilateral funding, including US$220 million from the IDB. We expect that progress on the IMF negotiations will help unlock these funds,” he stated.

He emphasized that the Government was determined to fix the problem in a “framework of national and international partnership.”

Dr Phillips further advised that, in the medium term, any programme going forward must involve comprehensive tax reforms, the reform of the public sector pension system, public sector transformation and a reduction in public sector costs.

The aim, he explained, is to arrive at macro-economic stability including low inflation and low interest rates.

“Let us recognise, however, that macro-economic stability is not an end in itself. There is stability now, partly because there is low demand for credit and foreign exchange due to the weakness in the economy. Banks are competing vigorously to lend and, in doing so, are lowering interest rates required to identify opportunities to generate increased revenues, which must be in the context of the promotion and inducement of growth in the Jamaican economy,” he stated.

The Minister advised that, if the Jamaican economy is to exhibit signs of meaningful growth then, it must bolster its international competitiveness in order to “drive export growth, investment and job creation.”

“Jamaica cannot be the “place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business’ if bureaucratic and other obstacles exist at every step of the way. Jamaica’s overall competitiveness has nosedived from 67th position in 2006 to 107th position in 2011, its worst performance ever and, in the World Bank’s ‘Doing Business’ rating from 43rd in 2006 to 88th in 2010-2011. We are ranked 133rd out of 187 countries in terms of savings rate, 172nd in paying taxes and 103rd in registering property. There will be a coordinated campaign to remove bureaucratic red tape,” he disclosed.

The Minister underscored the point that the “active recruitment and coordination of investments by the State is an absolute priority.”

He observed that: “Faster growth can be triggered, fast-tracked and ensured by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows. We would also like to invite the private sector with capital to invest and propose ideas for investment to have discussions with us about how to move such investments forward. FDI must be targeted and deliberately coordinated. That was how we achieved the so-called ‘Spanish invasion’ in the tourism sector in 2007."

Dr. Phillips pointed to his administration’s “solid track record” in the area of tourism investments, which helped to put Jamaica at the top of small island states in investment promotion in the period prior to 2007.

With indications that additional new hotel investments, both local and foreign are “ready to come on stream”, he advised that linkages among various sectors of the economy would be strengthened.

“There now has to be an effective divestment programme for large blocks of state-owned land to ensure production of food for the growing hotel sector and for export. We will revitalize investment promotion to boost foreign direct inflows, growth and jobs,” the Minister declared.

Bad Friday: Rastafari After Coral Gardens Now Out On DVD

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:30:00 UT

Oxumgirl Productions proudly presents the official DVD release and European premiere of BAD FRIDAY: RASTAFARI AFTER CORAL GARDENS, a compelling documentary that chronicles the history of violence against Rastafarians in Jamaica.

Produced and directed by John Jackson, Jr. and Deborah Thomas, along with Junior “Gabu” Wedderburn and Junior “Ista J” Manning, BAD FRIDAY focuses on a community of Rastafarians in western Jamaica who annually commemorate the 1963 Coral Gardens incident, a moment just after the island’s independence, when the Jamaican government rounded up, jailed and tortured hundreds of Rastafarians. The feature-length documentary recounts the poignant history of violence in Jamaica through the eyes of its most iconic community and shows how people use their recollections of past traumas to imagine new possibilities for a collective future.

For the film, Jackson, Thomas, Wedderburn and Manning interviewed Rasta elders who experienced the Coral Gardens incident. They convey what happened during and after the violent confrontation – and how they envisioned, and still envision, justice. The 63-minute long documentary, which was shot on DV, mini-DV and HD, also features archival footage and historical photographs, placing the interviews within the context of a longer history of persecution of the Rastafari movement. Junior “Gabu” Wedderburn, former drummer at the Jamaican National Dance Company and master drummer of Broadway’s The Lion King, has crafted the original BAD FRIDAY soundtrack featuring 14 inspirational songs.

Businesses Urged To Deepen Participation In Efforts To Grow Economy

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:25:00 UT

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton (left), discusses Jamaican made items on display with President of the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA), Brian Pengelley, at the media launch of Expo Jamaica 2012, at the Wyndham Hotel, in New Kingston, on January 24.

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, is urging businesses to deepen participation in national growth efforts, in this the country’s 50th year of independence.

He also called on all sectors to be accountable to each other and the nation for their roles in growing the economy.

“Every sector has a responsibility to join in the efforts to move us towards growth and development. Participation, accountability and responsibility – these are the principles from our progressive agenda that we, as a new Government, has to emphasise. These are the principles we bring to the table as the philosophies that will guide our action,” Mr. Hylton said.

The Minister was addressing the media launch of Expo Jamaica 2012, at the Wyndham Hotel, in New Kingston, today (January 24).

The Minister cited the Prime Minister’s call for every business to make the effort to employ one additional qualified person in the short term.

“Such a move will have a ripple effect across this nation, that will redound to the benefit of our people, and ultimately to your business, and the quality of life for all Jamaicans. By employing one additional person, you will stimulate the demand for products and services,” Mr. Hylton argued.

Meanwhile, the Minister said that the Government was cognisant of the challenges facing both consumers and business operators. “We also know that despite the challenges, for many businesses, increasing employment opportunities for our people is not a new activity,” he said.

“I take the opportunity to salute the captains of industry for keeping thousands of Jamaicans employed and for creating new jobs. However in this moment, our jubilee year, we ask you to make a special effort in employment. Now is the time for every stakeholder who can, to make a special effort to do so…now is the time to recommit to solidifying our commitment to building this country,” Mr. Hylton said.

The Minister pointed out that in its unique way, Expo Jamaica 2012 demonstrates ways in which new jobs can be created, noting the input of artists, artisans, carpenters, designers, entertainers, labourers, among others, which represent Jamaicans at work.

“Each one of these represents a new job in the short term. We must also keep in mind the micro enterprises, the efforts of women and men who traditionally vend in the vicinity of the arena, and the taxi men and women who bring patrons to enjoy the activities…these too are important commercial activities, generated by the staging of events such as Expo 2012,” he said.

Scheduled for April 26-29 at the National Arena, in Kingston, the biennial expo, being held under the theme, ‘Jamaica to the World’, is jointly staged by the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA), the Jamaica Exporters’ Association (JEA), Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), with major sponsorship of $3.5 million from telecommunications provider, LIME. Other sponsors include National Commercial Bank, Jamaica Public Service Company, GraceKennedy and Company Limited, the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, and Lithographic Printers.

Manager, Export Promotion at JAMPRO, Berletta Forrester, informed that already, some 85 buyers from 11 countries are registered, including regional countries such as Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada, and others as far away as Hungary and in Africa. Twenty-three local buyers are also now registered, including purchasing teams from local hotels and attractions.

“If you purchase items for your organisation, whatever business you’re in, especially if you’re now buying from overseas, I urge you to look at what Jamaica has to offer and to start buying locally. This is how we are going to be able to grow our economy,” she urged.