Expo Jamaica recognizes this beautiful synergy and has been for the last forty one (41) years the mecca for All Things Jamaican. As the longest running multi-sectoral trade show in the Caribbean, Expo Jamaica (formerly The JMA/JEA Expo) has become more than just an event, it's an experience. For four days every two years we showcase the best of what Jamaica has to offer to the world, connecting the Diaspora with the products they love. A megashow, Expo Jamaica has become a staple in the Jamaican calendar for businesses and consumers alike, to taste, see and truly feel Jamaica.
IATI is a New York-based, nonprofit performing arts organisation, established in 1968, dedicated to serving both English and Spanish-speaking audiences of all ages. Its productions aim to be both play and provocateur, combining the prose of Gabriel Garc'a Marquez with the intrigue of Borges and Cortázar.
Traditional Maroon culture was, however, determined to be in need of safeguarding and protection because of several factors. Chief among these was the fact that transmission of traditional knowledge from elders to younger generations was not taking place on the scale it was used to and the fact that migration patterns saw large numbers of Maroon youth leaving the traditional sites of settlements. In response, UNESCO was petitioned to assist in safeguarding traditional Maroon culture in Jamaica, in particular, that of the Maroons of Moore Town, who were deemed to be the most remote. In November 2003, UNESCO declared the Maroon Heritage of Moore Town as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. This action facilitated the implementation of measures geared toward documenting, for posterity, traditional Maroon cuisine, language, the Kromanti play and the craftsmanship associated with the creation of tools and implements such as their unique Prentin drum, fishpots, spears and the abeng.
[Carolyn Cooper] said there is a dissonance between "the brand" and the "representation of the brand" and that "until in Jamaica we come to acknowledge Jamaica is not an "out of many, one people" country but it is really a country of black people with small numbers of ethnic minorities, we're not going to get the brand right." 'At Independence, Emancipation Day just disappeared. Because if you have Emancipation Day, then you have to ask yourself what you were emancipated from. And then certain people would have to say, well, we were mixed up in it. Slavery, that is. So Emancipation Day was just erased,"she said. "But Garveyites and Rastafari kept the tradition of celebrating Emancipation Day. And it's now back on the national calendar. We even have an Emancipation Park!" "This book is a celebration of Brand Jamaica, the authentic Brand Jamaica and I hope that as you read it, you'll understand why I'm so passionate about the subject," said Cooper as she ended her remarks.
Long before reggae became a global superstar in the 1970s and since then the iconic expression of Jamaican culture, it was Jamaica's performing arts groups that were the standard bearers of the nation's image, chief among them the National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) and the Jamaica Folk Singers which were established in 1962 and 1967 respectively. New works have similarly been introduced into the repertoire, many choreographed by the young members. The NDTC's organic relationship with the School of Dance and the entire cultural umbrella of the Edna Manley College of the Visual & Performing Arts and the Little Theatre Movement ensures that there's a continuous and dynamic exchange of ideas, teaching and talent. A number of the senior dancers and choreographers are in fact lecturers at the School of Dance.
-, Continued PM Simpson Miller, "As we celebrate 'triumphant, proud and free,' - the theme of this year's Independence celebration - let us not forget the road we travelled to create a more prosperous, productive and peaceful Jamaica. Let us draw on the history of our ancestors, a history of triumph over adversity." Noting that Jamaica is on a journey with one, urgent mission, PM Simpson Miller said that the mission must take us briskly along the path of economic growth and national development. 'Let us reconstruct our society so that all Jamaicans can meaningfully participate in the economic life of the nation. Let us remember that Jamaica is more than a brand, more than a name, it is the pride of a people."
"We have a magnificent group of veteran and talented young calypso and Soca artists. The orchestra, The Sunshine Band, is led by Don Diaz, son of the famed Cyril Diaz," explains Michelle Young, coordinator of the Festival & Tent. "Fans of every age and nationality will enjoy five tantalizing nights of strictly calypso and soca plus celebration of Trinidad & Tobago 51st independence birthday." "Come show love and support to our artists that live amongst us," says Yankey Boy who sang in the 2013 Trinbago Unified Calypsonian Organization (TUCO) Calypso Tent and in this year's Trinidad and Tobago (International) Soca Monarch.
