Signature Conversations to Kick Off Independence Celebrations

The music and legacy of Jamaican reggae vocalist and songwriter Keith “Bob Andy” Anderson will be discussed at “Signature Conversations” on Sunday, July 6, at the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) Lecture Hall, East Street Complex, downtown Kingston.

Signature Conversations, which is the first activity on the 2014 Emancipation/Independence calendar, is one of the redesigned programmes of this year’s celebrations. It is being organised by the Ministry of Youth and Culture in collaboration with the IOJ.

Sunday’s event will be one of four Independence Signature Conversations to be staged each Sunday up to August 10. Persons are being invited to attend the events, which are free of cost and begin at 2:00 p.m.

Signature Conversations will give the business, academic and service club communities, an opportunity to contribute to the dialogue on national development. Topics to be explored include: ‘Stuart Hall: Representation and Jamaican identity’; ‘The Jamaican Maroons: Towards Recognition of an indigenous people’; and ‘Up Ye Mighty Race: Garveyism and the National Agenda’.

Events spokesperson and Director of the Jamaica Music Museum, Herbie Miller, told JIS News that the Conversations will be “informative, educational and entertaining”.

He said that speakers at Sunday’s event will be Jamaica Reggae Industry Association board member, Junior Lincoln; musician, Robbie Lyn and businessman, Robert Dabdoub. Discussions will be led by lecturer and musician, Michael ‘Ibo’ Cooper.

Mr. Miller said the conversations will encourage comments and questions from the audience.

“We need that other side of the conversation…to tease out ideas and so we are looking for tertiary, we are looking for high schools, we are looking for various clubs and organizations. We are looking for a diverse audience and all are welcome,” he said.

He informed that the Conversation on Stuart Hall, to be held on July 27 will focus on the work of the late professor, who is recognised as one of the founding fathers of cultural studies.

“His work in the area of cultural studies is well known, and not as well known in Jamaica as it ought to have been. It’s the foundation on which cultural studies has been designed and spread in institutions in Britain and throughout Europe,” he added.

Professor of Anthropology, Columbia University, New York, David Scott, will be the main presenter at this conversation, after which a film on the Stuart Hall project will be presented.