Government Launches New Nationalistic Song

The Government’s efforts at renewing the vision of national pride and patriotism, through their communications programme, “A New Beginning”, have been bolstered by the addition of a new jingle titled, “This is Jamaica – A Bold New Beginning”.
The jingle, composition of which was piloted by the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), was officially launched by Minister with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Projects in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Hon. Daryl Vaz, during a brief ceremony in the OPM’s media room on Tuesday
Mr. Vaz noted the external and internal challenges currently facing Jamaica, pointing to the collective effort that was necessary to rebuild the nation.
“We can spare no effort to band together, to unite and to embrace a common vision for national development,” Mr. Vaz said.
“We need to build bridges, not walls.for, make no mistake about it, no matter how much money the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, or any other foreign investor pours into Jamaica, if we are divided and refuse to coalesce around common goals and a common vision, all of that money won’t translate into the economic growth which we all desire,” Mr. Vaz contended.
The Information Minister underscored the important role which communications can and must play in uniting the nation, in order to inspire individuals to bring out the inherent goodness in them and motivate the society towards excellence.
“We are doing some new things, in terms of our communication with the nation, and this is because we believe that the communications media represent a powerful tool for national transformation, and that they are well suited to give us a fresh start, and to launch us on that bold new beginning that Jamaica needs so badly, at this time,” he stated.
Mr. Vaz commended the JIS, for which he has portfolio responsibility, for the work which he said the agency undertook “in a very short time”, to implement the administration’s new communication thrust by producing the song.
He said that the cooperation and synergies, which resulted in the production of the song and the new radio programmes were, in themselves, indicative of the collaboration needed to make Jamaica the place of choice to live, work and raise families.
Chairman of the JIS Advisory Board, Mr. Neville James, also endorsed the jingle and praised the JIS’ efforts. He noted that the campaign is designed to awaken that part of the Jamaican consciousness that has been dormant for too long.
“It is my hope that this song can serve to inspire us as a people that, together, we can create the Jamaica that we desire,” Mr. James said.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the JIS, Mrs. Donna-Marie Rowe, said the launch of the song represented a “strategic element of Phase I” of a bold new beginning in the Agency’s communications strategy.
She pointed out that the Agency’s staff was cognizant of their collective responsibility to play a transformational role in the nation in terms of building a nation of which all Jamaicans could be proud.
“We are playing our part in helping to reverse the negative tide on our airwaves with the launch of ‘This is Jamaica’. We at JIS, we are poised and positioned to take our next step in this bold endeavour to impact our world in a positive way. We’re committed to lifting Jamaica. We will light our world and we know that, together, under God, we will make a difference,” Mrs. Rowe assured.
She pointed out that only one entry was received from head of the entertainment entity, Sparks Productions, Mr. Devon Sparks, consequent on an open tender process, inviting writers and producers to submit a demo of a song that “underscored the essence of the Jamaican gene of pride and achievement, the indomitable spirit of determination and resilience, and the Jamaican commitment to nationhood, nation building and patriotism.”
She explained that entrants were required to deliver a product with lyrics and music that would have mass appeal, underpinned by a wide instrumental mix of classic, contemporary and modern sounds, with a mix of performers, including children.
“Our goal is to engender national support for the path of economic recovery, for it is only with the support of all that we will achieve this success. It is our aim to stir a resurgence of nationalism and patriotism, which will serve as the catalytic vehicle, momentum and national fervor needed to ensure the success of any change process,” Mrs. Rowe said, pointing out that Mr. Sparks, the only person responding within the stipulated time frame, delivered accordingly.