The Jamaica Festival Song Competition carries with it a long and storied tradition of musical excellence, attracting thousands of artistes over multiple decades and eras of Jamaican popular music. The competition is organised annually by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, through the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC). Many artistes compete to have the winning song that will...

Members of the public can now view the works of 17 of western Jamaica’s talented artists, which are on display in the Due West Exhibition in Montego Bay, St. James. The pieces, showcased at National Gallery West, include ceramics, paintings, photography, printmaking, and fibre arts, among others. They were created using a diverse range of materials. The themes largely centre...

It was 265 Easters ago when Chief Takyi (also Tacky) led a daring uprising against the cruelty of colonialism, thus igniting a flame of resistance across the island that would serve as a catalyst for Jamaica’s emancipation decades later. Those events of the 1760 Easter rebellion or Tacky’s War that unfolded in the North Eastern parish of St. Mary are...

Director and Curator of the Jamaica Music Museum (JaMM), Herbie Miller, is of the view that this year’s staging of the Grounation series “lived up to the expectations”. The annual series showcases cultural and educational lectures, panel discussions and performances organised by JaMM, a division of the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ), which is an agency of the Ministry of Culture,...

Young people looking to make a career in social media or content creation are being advised to focus on making authentic content that builds trust, enhances engagement, and creates meaningful connections with the audience. Authenticity in content creation refers to the quality of being genuine, honest, and true to oneself. It is building an audience based on making content that...

The recent raising of the age limit to 30 for participants in the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition has sparked favourable responses, including from former contestants. Traditionally, the competition, organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) is open to women between the ages of 18 and 25. This year, the rules have been updated to permit young women up...

Doubts about entering the 2024 Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Heritage Competition turned into triumph for 24-year-old Jordanne Roache, winner of the Photo Category. She recalled that a friend sent the competition flyer to her and encouraged her to make a submission. Jordanne said she was very hesitant about entering, but decided to give it a chance. “I didn’t think that...

Jamaica’s cultural heritage, including reggae and dancehall music, movements and world-famous Blue Mountain Coffee, were showcased on the world stage at the 2024 Asia Song Festival X Culture Bridge Festa held in Seoul, Korea. The festival and festa included exhibitions, performances and experiential activities for audiences at the Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul from October 26-27. Every year, the Korean...

For the third year in a row, a student of Herbert Morrison Technical High School, in St. James, has won the Poster Category of the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Heritage Competition. Nathan Morris, a sixth form student, wore a bright smile as he collected his award and prizes on Tuesday (December 10), at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel, in Kingston....