As Jamaica marks 184 years since Emancipation and the 56th anniversary of Independence, Executive Director of the Institute of Jamaica (IoJ), Vivian Crawford, is highlighting the need for greater focus on the country’s rich heritage. He points out that there are important lessons to learn from how the ancestors lived and conducted themselves, including the social norms and values, which,...

Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister, Hon. Olivia Grange, says plans are in place to revive the country’s Culinary Arts Festival and Competition beginning next year. Introduced during the 1970s, the festival, which showcased the island’s rich culinary food and delights, was later discontinued after having been staged for a number of years. “It will now be resuscitated and have...

Mr. Patrick Campbell, wearing the Jamaican colours, views the ‘Yaadi Bites’ booth at the opening of Independence Village at the National Arena in Kingston on August 1. The Village, which will open daily to the public until August 6, features a number of family-friendly activities, including booth displays, food courts, lunch-hour concerts and a children’s village.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, has paid tribute to persons who fought for Jamaica’s Emancipation and Independence. Speaking on Wednesday’s (August 1) official opening of the Independence Village at the National Arena in Kingston, Minister Grange noted that she has tremendous respect for “those who fought the good fight and sacrificed their lives in our...

My fellow Jamaicans, Each year, the Emancipation celebrations give us an opportunity to reflect on the struggle of our ancestors for freedom, against a system that denied them their dignity and humanity, often through brutally oppressive and violent means. It must have been a euphoric day, today the first of August, 180 years ago, when our forebear gathered in their...

My fellow Jamaicans, I greet you in the spirit of freedom that is the essence of Emancipation. Emancipation Day is a timely reminder that our freedom from plantation slavery was the outcome of selfless, courageous actions by Jamaicans, who struggled for centuries to break the chains of their enslavement. The ending of the evils of human enslavement however, only marked...

A local music consultant, artiste and industry player have in common theview that Jamaica’s music has contributed to the country’s national development, by generating earnings from foreign exchange through tourist arrivals and the creation of employment. “Our music has economic value. A lot of people want to visit Jamaica because of the culture, because of the music and that serves...