As the August 6 Independence celebrations kick into high gear, individuals born the same year Jamaica was declared an autonomous nation from the United Kingdom are expressing a sense of pride at the country’s achievements over the past 60 years. Ushered into the world on June 10, 1962, in Montego Bay, St. James, Educator, Donna Gaynor-Lyn Fatt says the gains...

The 2022 Jamaica Festival Song album is now live on global music streaming services across the world including Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Spotify, Tidal, and Pandora. The album titled ‘Jamaica Festival 2022 Song Competition’ features the ten finalists in this year’s competition. It’s the third consecutive year that finalists in the Jamaica Festival Song Competition have been released on...

As Jamaica marks 60 years of Independence this year, citizens are being urged to embrace and take pride in the country’s dynamic culture and heritage. Whether it’s music, dance, food, or art, Jamaica’s unique and vibrant culture continues to be a major force around the world and is a manifestation of the local saying “wi likkle but wi tallawah.” Speaking...

Winner in the 2021 Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Culinary Arts Competition, Kerry-Ann Thomas, will be vying for the title again this year. A strong believer in personal development and lifelong learning, Ms. Thomas will be challenging her abilities once again in her attempt to cop the first prize. She will also be participating in the knife-skills component of the...

The expression, ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’, aptly describes Danijah Taylor’s resolve to engage young Jamaicans in literacy and the written word, so as to chart a path for their upward mobility. The St. Catherine native has coined the term ‘penpowerment’ (empowerment through the pen) and has, so far, touched the lives of dozens of students through his...

St. Joseph’s Teachers’ College is singing the praises of the Culture, Health, Arts, Science and Education (CHASE) Fund, after becoming one of the most recent beneficiaries of its Music in Schools initiative. The College received a $2-million grant in the 2021/2022 financial year, and Acting Principal, Winsome Francis, says the money was used to purchase much needed musical instruments, including...

Developing a digital ecosystem in collaboration with private and public stakeholders will help to advance digital transformation in Jamaica. This was supported by Corporate Vice President and Chief Digital Officer for Microsoft, in the US, Jacky Wright, during the recently concluded hybrid diaspora conference, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in downtown Kingston. “We can't do...

For 20 years, the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund has been assisting Jamaican writers in highlighting the nation’s historic and cultural achievements. Through the Fund’s Policy on Literary Works, documentaries, biographies and autobiographies of celebrated Jamaicans, works on parishes and places of historical significance have received support. Fifteen per cent of the Fund’s resources are channeled towards...

The Office of the General Secretariat, Organization of American States (GS/OAS) in Jamaica has announced winners of this year’s Art and Poetry Competition. In the Art category, student at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Western Jamaica Campus, Sashane Smith, took first place for her piece, ‘Abandon Ship’, while former student of the St. Andrew High School for Girls,...