Jamaican and Japanese Musicians Raise Funds for Port Antonio Street People

Musicians from Jamaica and Japan came together on Tuesday (March 30) for a jazz concert to raise funds for homeless people in Port Antonio.
The concert, held at the Neville Antonio Park featured performances by the Japanese musical band Ensemble Otadama, and Jamaican artistes Earl “Chinna” Smith and Frank “Kiddus” Dowding.
The fundraising event was sponsored by the Japanese Embassy in collaboration with the Jamaica Arts Endowment Fund and the Portland Rehabilitation Centre.
Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Hiroshi Yomaguchi, who attended the event, said that the Embassy was fully supportive of the effort to solicit public support for the programme to assist street people in Port Antonio.
He congratulated the staff and board of directors of the Portland Rehabilitation Centre for the work they were doing in that regard.
Mayor of Port Antonio, Councillor Floyd Patterson, in welcoming the audience expressed appreciation to the Ensemble Otadama and commended the Japanese Embassy and the Jamaica Arts Endowment Fund for sponsoring the concert.
Underscoring the long and close relationship between Jamaica and Japan, he said that the ties have been strengthened through trade and musical links.
Manager of the Portland Rehabilitation Centre, Miss Kimberley Hitchins, thanked the performers and the sponsors for combining their efforts to make the event possible.
She exhorted the residents of Portland to give full support to the initiative being carried out to take care of homeless persons in Port Antonio.