'It is a cause to celebrate, for slavery is the worst abomination that one set of people can, through their power and might, inflict on another," said [Bruce Golding] in his message. "In that celebration, we honour the courage of those leaders who fought the battle against slavery at times when it seemed to be a battle that would never be won, those who sacrificed their lives so that our forefathers could be free and our nation be built."
The recent performance featured five of the pieces from their repertoire. Three of the pieces, 'Sankofa-Ja' (choreographed by Professor Kariamu Welsh Asante), 'Evolution' (choreographed by Abeldo 'Tokie' [Monika Lawrence]) and 'African Nite' (choreographed by Monica Lawrence assisted by Orville Hall) were added to the ensemble's repertoire this year. '[Liza]' weaves together the stories and music from 'Linstead Market', 'Mout-a-Massie Liza' and 'Every time me Memba Liza' to tell the story of a young girl who becomes disaffected with country life and goes off to the city.
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.
"When I look at the 200m, the record is so far out there, so for me I just try to improve each year and it's definitely not at the top of my list," said Felix touching on the records. "I never like to say never as far as the record is concerned but realistically speaking, I do think that they are very fast; I don't think at least in the 200m where my focus is. I don't think that record is going anytime soon. I can be wrong because track is like that, where amazing things happen that you are not suspecting." "I love running with Veronica and I love high-quality races and I wish we could meet more, it's just how it works out sometimes," Felix added.
When Tappa Zukie asked "People are you ready?" They chorused "Blow! Oh Lord!". Two of the Tamlins came out in locks-shaking, dancing fashion, settling to sing harmony on How I Wish It Would Rain to the third member's lead vocals. With a cry of "non-stop!" they went from Go Away Dream to Ting A Ling, Wildflower among the ending slow songs. Admiral Bailey brought up intermission with a crowd-pleasing mixture of humour, 'Delia move' and 'Samurai' dancing and Winston 'Merritone' Blake playing Long Story and Left With A Broken Heart in the break. Then it was singers all the way to the end, Gregory Isaacs delivering Number One and Rumors, Night Nurse coming before a Ragamuffin encore. Johnny Clarke's hit machine rolled out Move Outta Babylon and None Shall Escape the Judgement. Culture's Two Sevens Clash and I'm Not Ashamed came before Conqueror.
[Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce] burst on to the scene as a fresh-faced youngster in 2008, winning the local national trials before going on to shock the nation and the crown by claiming the title at the Beijing Olympic Games. Fraser-Pryce clocked an impressive 10.78 seconds to lead a Jamaican sweep of the event finishing ahead of compatriots Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart.
"Overall, I'm just happy to come away with a win," said [Fraser-Pryce]. "Today I didn't run according to how I wanted but still came out with a viotory. That made me happy. There is a lot more room for improvement in the 200m, and I'm looking forward to more races to see how best I can put a complete race together." The men's 100m also featured three Jamaicans, but it was American Justin Gatlin. 9.97 - the Olympic lOOm bronze medallist, who crossed the line first in a tight finish; barely bettering his compatriot Mike Rodgers and Jamaican Olympic 4x1 00m relay gold-medal winner Neata Carter, who both posted season-best times of 9.99. Jamaican Shericka Williams struggled in sixth place, despite posting a season best 52.23 with 200m specialist [Felix] running second in 50.19 and Great Britain powerhouse Christine Ohuruogu finishing third in a 50.53 season's best.
Usain Bolt and his Jamaican teammate Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce have been shortlisted for the United States Sports Academy Athlete-of-the-Year Award 2013.
Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, believes that newly crowned World 100m champion and the second-fastest man over 200m, Yohan Blake, is a source of inspiration for Jamaica's youth and encouraged the 21-yearold to remain humble and respectful. "I have a soft spot for Yohan and have always felt that he is a special athlete, having followed his career since he was a student at St Jago," Grange said. "So when Usain false started, I was confident that he would rise to the occasion and win. When Everyone was shocked about the false start, I was focused on Jamaica winning because I knew Yohan would make it happen."
"She is well trained and trains hard. She has injuries here or there but knows she is being depended on," he said. "She has delivered on three other occasions and will be there to deliver again." "It's kind of overwhelming in the sense that the team will be depending on me to take them to victory. Normally, it's Sheckema, now they're depending on me. I have a lot of nerves but I am sure I will pull through for my team," she said.
