Grounation Focuses On Contribution Of Chinese Jamaicans To Reggae

The Jamaica Music Museum’s annual Grounation series will kick off this Sunday (February 9) at the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) Lecture Hall, 10 East Street, downtown Kingston.

The discussion forum, which is free to the public, will begin at 2:00 p.m. A mini exhibition will be opened to support the series, which will continue on February 16, 23 and March 1.

Grounation is among the plethora of events being organised in the month of February to celebrate Reggae Month.

This year’s staging is being held under the theme ‘Blackhead Chineyman: The Chinese Jamaicans’ Contribution to Jamaican Popular Music’.

Director and Curator, Jamaica Music Museum, Herbie Miller, told JIS News that “Grounation will take a look at the role that the Chinese played in the early development of the music”.

He noted that “as businessmen and women they enabled many artistes, such as Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Derrick Morgan, Lord Creator, among others, to make a successful early breakthrough in the music industry”.

Mr. Miller said that Grounation will include panellists, presenters and performers, who will pay tribute to the cultural synergy between the ethnic groups.

Among the topics for discussion are ‘The Crane and the Hummingbird: Early Producers and Performers’; ‘Hookim Hook Dem: Channel One Cook Dem’; ‘Dragon’s Nest: Beverley’s, Dynamic Sounds, Top Deck’; and ‘Randy’s’.

The series will recognise icons such as Victor and Pat Chin of VP Records, Leslie Kong of Beverly Studios, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, and the Hoo Kim brothers of Channel One Studios.