Grounation Continues Sunday

The Jamaica Music Museum’s (JaMM) Grounation series will continue on Sunday (February 21) with a rebroadcast of a 2020 lecture titled: ‘Blackhead Chineyman: The Chinese contribution to Jamaican popular music’.

Members of the public can tune in at 3:00 p.m. on the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ), Jamvision TV, the Institute of Jamaica’s (IOJ) YouTube channel, and the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s (JCDC) Facebook page.

Grounation is among the plethora of virtual events being held in February to celebrate Reggae Month.

The series culminates on February 28, with a panel discussion titled: ‘Upward and Onward: Alpha, Sister Ignatius, and Music.’

It will explore the musical legacy of the Alpha Institute, which is observing its 140^th anniversary, and the contribution of educator and mentor, Sister Mary Ignatius.

The Grounation lecture series, which looks at the contributions and history of Jamaican music, cultural heritage, and ethnicity, is marking 10 years as an annual Reggae Month staple.

Director of the JaMM, Herbie Miller, told JIS News that the entity is proud of the growth of the programme over the years.

“It has really been an exciting journey to come up with the idea and to see it grow to this level of entertainment and education,” he said.

Commenting on the future of Grounation, Mr. Miller said that both in-person and virtual formats will be utilised to reach the public.

He noted that with the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) “we have gained another aspect that will allow us to disseminate our message in a much broader sense, so while we go back to the live in-person format when that time comes, we also will be quite adept at broadcasting it live in both audio and video.”

Mr. Miller said the series will continue to explore the rich musical heritage of Jamaica and “how it connects to the diversity of a Diaspora whose ethnicities and aesthetics are of African origins.”

He pointed out that Grounation is not just about the music but about the purpose of music and how great musicians and thinkers are able to use the medium to convey all kinds of experiences and situations.

Over the years, Grounation has explored many topics including African aesthetics in Jamaican popular culture; the drum in Africa and its Diaspora; and dancehall as a liberating ethic.

Participants in the lectures and discussions over the years include authors, Colin Channer and Kwame Dawes; poet laureates Lorna Goodison and Professor Mervyn Morris; noted scholar and authority on Marcus Garvey, Professor Rupert Lewis; musician Ernie Smith; and other personalities.