TAKING A 'NET VACATION'

TAKING A ‘NET VACATION’
If you have missed my Blog for the past few weeks, it’s because I’ve been on a ‘net vacation’, a recommended activity for all people like me who live on the Internet. Moving house a month ago, it took 2 weeks for my FLOW internet to be re-connected and once again I have been reminded of the enormous change in my working life that has come with Bill Gates’ Microsoft personal computers and the World Wide Web.

Plugged out from the life-giving supply of digital connection to the outside world, I recall the pre-Internet days when Jamaica was surrounded by invisible walls that only enabled communication with others via expensive long-distance calls and snail mail that took 2 weeks to reach its destination.

One learned Patience and Faith in those days, when one was forced to maintain a fully paid-up relationship with the only telecom company, as overdue bills resulted in not only a large re-connection fee but also payment of an increased ‘deposit’. As such costs were sometimes even more burdensome than the unpaid service charges, many persons simply sighed and remained unconnected.

The freedom of the Internet came to Jamaica in the early 1990s, and we scrambled to learn HTML so we could build our own websites to promote ourselves to the world. The ease of email made trips to the Post Office obsolete and suddenly one could write to Bill Gates as easily as to our family and friends overseas.

Accompanying my son at the Awards Weekend in Los Angeles for the winners of the 1999 ThinkQuest International Student Website Competition, I met Jaron Lanier – the man accredited with inventing the Internet. You can imagine my pleasure to discover that he has been dreadlocksed since his teens, not as a Rasta, but as he says: “… because that’s how my hair wants to grow.” Made me love the Internet even more.

As the internet was reconnected and I hastily logged into my mailboxes at Hotmail, Yahoo and Gmail, my Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, I sent out a silent message: Thanks, Jaron Lanier. May your tribe increase!

I used the time while offline to rebuild my Jamaica Media Productions company website and have now uploaded it to a new address. Those interested may visit http://jamediapro.jahweb.co.cc


BOOK REVIEWS
Had a lot of time while offline to read some books and share reviews of two US novels for children that impressed me.

PROFESSOR ANGELICUS VISITS THE BIG BLUE BALL
Author: L.B.B.B. Ward
Publisher: MumbleFish Books, New Jersey, USA

As Zak, his friend Ivy and his dog Ziggy go fishing one day, they are surprised as a visitor from space – Professor Aquius Botanicus Angelicus – descends in a big water bubble. The Professor has come to Earth – the Big Blue Ball -- searching for clean water to refresh his spaceship and he persuades the children to help him find some.

The journey around the Big Blue Ball in search of the world’s most precious commodity is long and desperate, but filled with imagination, discovery and friendship, as the travelers discover that acid rain, global warming, chemical and industrial pollution, drought and diverted rivers have made clean water a scarce global resource. The story is a vivid description of the peril the world faces as our water resources are depleted, and is told in a easy-to-read manner that will captivate children of all ages. I can see the adventure appealing to teenagers reading it themselves, and can be easily read to and understood by young children.

Moral values are imparted as the story progresses. In one adventure searching underwater, they are arrested by the Shark Patrol and brought before the President of the Underwater Confederation of whales and sharks. Commenting on the store of missiles and guns Professor Angelicus tells him: “Things have gotten out of alignment here. Hate makes more hate. Only love can make love. If the residents balanced their body, mind and spirit, the Big Blue Ball would be better balanced.”

On another occasion, Professor Angelicus is suffering from lack of water and the children wonder how to restore him. Ivy suggests: “Maybe we should pray. I read that when people pray, rays of light rise up toward heaven.”

Towards the end, Professor Angelicus and the children arrive at the Great Council of the Land of Sparkle and see before them the Living Mural of Eternity featuring the Great Leaders of Kindness. Imagery such as this book presents can inspire young people, while providing adults with a foundation on which to teach important moral lessons and guide them into adult maturity with positive values.

THE BIG BLUE BALL is available at Amazon, and also from Professor Angelicus website links at MySpace and http://professorangelicus.com.



THE LOOSE END OF THE RAINBOW
Author: D. B.PACINI
Singing Moon Press LLC
Sioux Falls, USA



Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents; it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”

Readers of THE BIG BLUE BALL will appreciate this Native American proverb that begins THE LOOSE END OF THE RAINBOW. The book is also from the USA, this one set among the Native American first citizens, otherwise called Indians. Summarizing the story, all adults in the village suddenly disappear, leaving White Eagle and Paints-With-Words, both 17. They lead the children of the tribe on an epic quest across ancient America, on a journey in which they are challenged by hardship, injuries, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes. Luckily for the Tribe of the Innocents, the two young leaders have been gifted with special powers, and unexpected allies emerge.

In a dedication to “All Children, Red, Yellow, Brown, Black and White”. author D.B. Pacini explains the book’s title:
“There are two ends of the rainbow. One is the end where there is a pot of gold. The other is the end where there is not. On that end, the sun also shines brightly after the rain, but the water-washed glorious colours spill loose upon the ground. This is the end where artists bend to dip their paintbrushes, where love promises never to die, where unicorns give rides of little fairies with tiny flowers in their hair. It is the end where talking animals, talking trees, talking rocks, and talking bees have spirited conversations. It is the end where songwriters write songs, the end where storytellers journey through time to find the beginnings of their stories, and the end where dreamers dream their most amazing dreams.”

With a premise such as this, there is much in THE LOOSE END OF THE RAINBOW to satisfy those who seek literature that uplifts the spirit and assists the struggle for the victory of Good over Evil.

The book contains many footnotes that explain in greater detail many aspects of Native American life and culture, and this makes the book an educational experience that fills in some of the blanks left by Hollywood’s ‘cowboys & Indians’ movies. As one reviewer states: “Pacini’s enchanting story reveals her love for children and her respect for North America’s original residents.”

Book available at Amazon, MySpace/DBPacini and http://www.singingmoonpress.com.

FILM NEWS
Looking forward to the premiere of "Redemption of Paradise' the new feature from Antigua starring dancehall diva Macka Diamond. Full review in next week's SPOTLIGHT.

FILM NEWS: 'HIT ME WITH MUSIC', Macka Diamond, Mary Wells

In This Week’s SPOTLIGHT:
'HIT ME WITH MUSIC' - New Dancehall Documentary
MACKA DIAMOND STARS IN NEW CARIBBEAN MOVIE
MARY WELLS SHOOTS 'KINGSTON PARADISE

Nice Time Productions, whose directors Nando Garcia-Guereta and Migual Galofre brought us the excellent documentary Why Do Jamaicans Run So Fast, have produced a trailer of their new documentary about contemporary dancehall HIT ME WITH MUSIC, an exploration of how Jamaicans enjoy music and dances, with: Mavado, Vybz Kartel, Daseca, Bugle, Bogle, Mr. Wacky, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Yellow Man, Elephant Man, Bunny Lee, Black Scorpio, Jammys, Tony Rebel, Queen Ifrica, Bongo Herman, Mighty Crown, Sample 6, Keiva the diva, Tripple XXX, Sickinhead "50", Jelly Brain, M.O.B, Famous, John Hype, Expressions, SNOB JAPAN and more...
Here's the trailer:

MACKA DIAMOND STARS IN REDEMPTION OF PARADISE

Dancehall diva Macka Diamond stars in a new Caribbean movie due to be premiered shortly. According to a Press release issued by the producers, this is a high impact action drama directed by Noel 'Doc' Howell that will hit the big screens this summer and promises to be an exciting thriller.

'Redemption Of Paradise’ is a movie about vigilante justice set in the beautiful island of Paradise. What was once a safe and pleasurable island has now become plagued with violence, drugs, and gangs. Tired of the corruption that has infested her hometown, one citizen decides to take a stand. Millie (played by dancehall star Macka Diamond) forms a community watch group, which amongst other things encourages the local businessmen to stop paying protection money and to deter the corrupt efforts of Paradise's drug kingpin. The subplot to the movie involves a much younger Millie and a horrible twist to the story begins to unravel.

The Antiguan film, produced by Dr. Howell’s film company Colour Bars Film Production, was filmed mainly in Antigua featuring stars from across the Caribbean. Flying in an international crew to orchestrate stunts, from car chases and explosions, to cinematography as well, the team is now getting ready to premier the movie in Jamaica next month, and Dr. Howell is extremely proud of his latest production, confident that movie goers will love every minute of it.

‘Redemption Of Paradise’ will definitely keep everyone on the edge of their seats,” said Howell. “It’s full of action, has a great story line and the acting is superb, not to mention the directing. It’s a fantastic movie, if I may say so myself.” Dr. Howell notes that Antigua will be proud of the footage, as the international crew was equally impressed with the country’s natural beauty – some stating they’d return for vacation, to shoot marine scenes, and one exploring the possibility of migrating.

Awaiting its Jamaican premier, Dr. Howell is confident that the movie will be a hit throughout the region, and especially in Antigua and Barbuda. ‘Redemption Of Paradise’ cast includes – lead Macka Diamond as Millie, Respect as Rogger, Mark as himself, Kevroy Graham as Andrew, Eldon Matrin as Wicket and Junior Hart as Officer.
The crew comprises – Director: Noel ‘The Doc’ Howell M.D., Assistant Director: Jason Williams, Producer: Courtney Boyd, Producer: Cliff Williams, Production Manager: Bert Kirchner, Location Manager: Dr. Alvin Edwards, Script Supervisor: Chantelle Tomilson, DP: Boaz Freund, Camera Assistant: Alex, Camera Assist: Andrew Anderson, Gaffer: Danny Belinke, Grip: Mark Mctavish, Make-up Artist: Melissa, and Stunt Coordinators: Steve Gums, Jeff Gums and Eric Miranda.

JAMAICAN FILM MAKER MARY WELLS SHOOTS 'KINGSTON PARADISE'
Jamaican film maker Mary Wells has been busy shooting her new film Kingston Paradise in Downtown Kingston recently. CPTC and CHASE Fund are partners in the film, as is UWI Professor Emiel Martins new entertainment company. It's Mary's first feature and we congratulate her and look forward to seeing the finished film.
Have a wonderful week!

Get Ready for Sumfest 2009

Music lovers all over Jamaica, and indeed the world, are looking forward to this year’s staging of Reggae Sumfest. Organisers Johnny Gourzong and Robert Russell announced this week that Reggae Sumfest 2009 will be dedicated to the memory of Michael Jackson, though how the King of Pop will be memorialized has not yet been outlined. The July 19th - 25th event will feature some of the Who`s Who of reggae and dancehall, including Damian `Jr. Gong` Marley, the doctor, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Vybz Kartel, Mavado, Tarrus Riley, Etana, Da`ville, Queen Ifrica, Elephant Man, Morgan Heritage, Lady Saw, Busy Signal, Spice, Kip Rich, D`Angel, Flippa Mafia, Jah Cure and Coco T.

The world’s best-known showcase of reggae music will take place from July 19-25 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The July 19 beach party and the ensuing three days of epic live performances starting with Dancehall Night on Thursday, July 23, that make up the annual event, will captivate the thousands of tourists and Jamaicans alike who make the trek each year to the Second City for the Mecca of reggae music festivals and Summerfest Productions is looking to make this year’s event another ‘one to remember’.

American singers Toni Braxton, Neyo as well as Nas and R&B star Jazmine Sullivan are the top international performers added to Reggae Sumfest, Braxton has won six Grammy Awards and has sold over forty million records worldwide. Her number-one single, `Un-break My Heart,' is the second biggest selling single by a female singer in Billboard history. Ne-Yo has had five top ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist and two number-one albums on the Billboard 200. He has also amassed a catalog of chart-topping songs written for other artists. In 2006 he released his debut album, In My Own Word, which contained the US number one hit `So Sick.`

This year's feast of reggae music will take place from July 19-25 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The July 19 beach party and the ensuing three days of epic live performances starting with Dancehall Night on Thursday, July 23 will captivate the thousands of tourists and Jamaicans alike who make the trek each year to this, the Mecca of reggae music festivals. Summerfest Productions is looking to make this years’ Reggae Sumfest, another ‘one to remember’. Sponsors for the 2009 event include Digicel, Air Jamaica, Jamrock Magazine, Ocean Spray and the Jamaica Tourist Board among others.

MOBAY HOTELS

If you haven’t booked your Sumfest hotel room yet, my two recommendations are:
ALTAMONT WEST, which dubs itself as 'the epitome of style and service' is located right on the main beach-level road through the Hip Strip and in front of the old Hospital beach, this small boutique hotel is perfect for the stylish crew who need a home from home with all the trimmings at an affordable price. Breakfast is included in the US$90 per person rate, and there is the opportunity to dine at the fabulous in-house gourmet restaurant Wine With Me.


HOLIDAY INN SUNSPREE: 500+ rooms operated by owners of Kingston’s Courtleigh and Knutsford Court hotels, popular with Black Americans and Jamaican families. All inclusive Jamaican rates of US$85 per night with children under 12 staying and eating free. Excellent buffet meals, burger-and-fries grill and bars till 2 am, good beach, spa and first class service.


ROGER GUENVEUR SMITH
Roger Guenveur Smith, film actor, director and writer, star of the recent blockbusters "American Gangster" and "Fighting" and who plays a lead role in the new Jamaican film ‘Betta Mus Come’, was a featured performer at this year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s event: “Giving Voice: The Power of Words in African American Culture.” Running from June 24 through July 5, the Festival is held outdoors annually on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between the Smithsonian museums.

Roger at Flashpoint Film Festival 2007
Sponsored by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the program featured poetry, storytelling, radio, humor and theater, examining and celebrating the role that African American oral tradition has played in shaping American culture.

Roger’s performance of his critically acclaimed one-man presentation of Frederick Douglas NOW, readings from the sayings of the noted Black American icon, was podcast live on Sunday July 5 and watched by fans around the world. Roger Guenveur Smith's credits include roles in several Spike Lee films including Do The Right Thing, and especially the film adaptation of his own award-winning play A Huey P. Newton Story. You can watch an excerpt of Frederick Douglas NOW here:


FILM INDUSTRY MEETING
In an effort to further formalize and organize the activities of the Jamaican film and television industries, all film and television professionals are invited to attend the inaugural meeting of a professional association, the Jamaica Audio Visual Association on July 18th 2009 at 10 a.m. at Jamaica Trade and Invest, on Trafalgar Road in Kingston.

The new Audio Visual Association seeks to bring together integrated industry sectors to be represented by an inclusive organization that embraces a wide cross section of industry professionals. At this first general meeting of the association, film and television professionals will have the opportunity to develop a mandate for the association, create its bylaws, and elect a board that will represent the industry and seek to increase productivity and maximize economic viability.

Since the beginning of 2009 several film and television professionals have been participating in the process of developing recommendations to the Government of Jamaica to create a comprehensive film policy to guide the development of the industry, its practices and processes. Resulting from this effort, in May 2009, a Film Policy Committee has been convened by The Cabinet to which the recommendations from the industry were presented for consideration.

The association will seek to bear influence and represent the interest of its members in the process of government policy development and the drafting of enabling legislation, to ensure that the policy is representative of its members concerns and needs and serves as blueprint for industry development. The stated objectives of the proposed policy, is to create an environment that will stimulate growth, provide jobs, increase wealth creation and prepare the industry for global participation and competitiveness.

See you there!

CARIBBEAN FASHION WEEK 2009


Better writers than I have written their praises of Caribbean Fashion Week 2009. Rather than trying to top their reports of all the excellent fashions shown, I will devote my comments to those that impressed me most and in my opinion, stood out above the rest.

For me, the best designs came from Jackie Cohen of Mutamba, whose Afrocentric stylings of hand-dyed cottons and silks draped in flowing cascades of fabric lead me to dub her the “Roberto Cavalli’ of Caribbean fashion. Each year Mutamba presents variations on the essential casual/exotic wardrobe in a variety of fabrics and dress lengths. This year, the swirls of colours and interesting drapes made every dress a must-have.

On the male side of fashion,
Hugh Johnson’s Yardman Style never fails each year to present the kind of male clothing we women wish our men would wear – bright T-shirts with appropriate Black pride messages, a new line of knee-length cargo shorts in several fabrics, plus new hooded windbreakers with short sleeves that doubled as shirts or casual jackets.

Dancehall designer Biggy was shocking as usual with his minimal, bare-as-you-dare fashions, but he always includes one fabulous white shirt and one beautiful, to-die-for long skirt – this time in denim -- for shy types like me. Trinidad’s Claudia Pegus’ collection of beige muslin dresses featured strings gathering the fabric in unusual places, and layers to create flounces and volume. Lovely.

Rocking the runway was the Art On The Run experiment by the JTI/EU Fashion Cluster fusing fashion and art into a spectacular collection. Most outstanding was Black River Goddess by Keenia Linton and Peter Evans, which featured ‘stained glass’ wings of copper wire and coloured plastic, and the designs made entirely of discarded juice boxes by Alfred Brissett and Peter Evans.

CFW this year had much to offer patrons in between the runway shows, as the National Indoor Arena venue was packed with booths for designers and sponsors. Among the sponsor giveaways were samples of new Curel lotions and moisturizers, scoops of creamy Haagen Dazs ice creams, bottles of Vitamin Water and plates of Grace instant foods. Eyewear company Eye-Q Optical offered patrons the opportunity to have a professional photo taken wearing their choice of the many beautiful frames on display. Best of all were samples of Amy’s Delicious Natural & Organic Meals, an new American label now represented by Ramsons that lived up to its name with delicious vegetarian soups, pizzas and lasagna.

American superstars Eve and Kelly Rowlands graced the stage with their vibe and energy, Eve wearing diamante-studded platform heels, a short black dress and long blonde hair that outshone every other woman in the house. Local celebs included Cindy Breakespeare, Wine With Me restauranteur Cecile Levee, UWI Professor Carolyn Cooper, and Miss Jamaica 2008 runner-up Rebecca Silvera. Not to be forgotten is the wonderful background music each night, both for the shows but especially entertaining in the intervals, that was splendidly programmed by broadcaster/poet Mutabaruka from his extensive music collection.

PULSE’s Kingsley Cooper, Romae Gordon and Hillary Phillips deserve congratulations for a 10th anniversary staging of CFW that was a fitting celebration.


PIONEER POLICEWOMAN RETIRES

Supt. Ionie Ramsay-Nelson, the pioneering Jamaican woman who became the first motocycle cop and eventually head of the Traffic Division, then the Police information network CCN, retired Thursday, July 18. At a luncheon held in her honour at Kingston’s Medallion Hall Hotel, Senior Superintendant Geneve Bent, now the leading female on the Force, paid tribute to the years of stellar service given the nation by this humble, principled and respected woman.

Making history when she broke the gender barrier to join what what had been till then an exclcusive male job in the Force, Supt. Ramsay-Nelson cut a dashing figure in her uniform and bike, gaining even more respect among the travelling public when she used her intelligence and good speaking skills to bring traffic news to the daily RJR morning show.

Well-known for her philanthropy, Supt. Ramsay collects gifts of food and clothing for distribution to the needy, who call her home at all hours when in need of help. Her close relations with Food For The Poor was emphasized at her retirement luncheon and it is clear that this side of her life will continue, while she sits down to write her biography to leave behind a record and example for future generations of Jamaican women.

NEW BOOKS ON MY SHELF

Souldance, Poems and Writingsby journalist and PR guru Jean Lowrie Chin (Publisher Ian Randle Publishers) attracted me primarily because of the lovely cover illustration of two dreadlocksed black cherubs draped in Red,Gold and Green banners. Jean is not shy to bare her life and her soul in her poems. Two of my favourites are her amusing “My Chinaman Jumped to the Riddim of Jah” that speaks of her Chinese-race husband enjoying his total Jamaican-ness, while ‘Pick Up Time” tells of the joys of collecting her children from school, children adopted from “… those nameless ladies, through whom the good Lord sent my babies.”

Half the book contains poems in both English and Jamaican, while the other half contains selected essays from her years as a newspaper columnist. Jean’s writings began as an Alpha schoolgirl and continue even as she steers the media campaigns of Jamaica’s biggest corporations. This is one of those books worth adding to the collection of Jamaican literature.

I Woman – The Sacred Trust, by Zoe Asher. (Publisher: Trailblazer INK/Creative Links) is a very interesting thesis by this London trained Jamaican Barrister-at-Law who died only weeks after its publication. In it she discusses her view that “Woman must face the fact that her liberation has become the cornerstone of her children’s desolation.”
According to Sister Zoe, the modern habit of women going out to work and becoming breadwinners, has deprived children of the loving mothering presence in the home during their developmental years and caused the crime, violence and sexual gender confusion that are the most serious problems today. She writes that in considering her role as nothing more than cook and cleaner, woman has neglected her true role as mother, providing a safe haven and nurturing presence that builds strong, confident and productive children.

It’s a worthy debate, and one I hope my feminist friends will join after reading this book.

JAMAICAN OLYMPICS FILM SHORT-LISTED FOR US AWARD

Photo: Triple-Gold Olympic athlete Usain Bolt & Fernando Garcia-Guerata.

“Why Do Jamaicans Run So Fast”, a documentary film first entered in the Reggae Film Festival 2009, has been short-listed as Best Documentary and the only non-American film in this year's American Black Film Festival.

“I really wanted my film to win a Reggae Film Festival award to show that Jamaicans liked it, before entering it in any other festivals”, says film Director Fernando Garcia-Guereta, But, after sending his entry, the Reggae Film Festival was postponed for financial reasons.

Undeterred, the director felt it was important to get a Jamaican audience’s reaction to his film, so he invited Reggae Film Festival director Barbara Blake Hannah to include the film in Jamaica Film Academy screenings she was hosting at Island Village, Ocho Rios and CPTC Studios, Kingston during the last week of February. The overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from the audiences on both occasions assured Garcia Guereta that Jamaicans loved his documentary.

A recent screening at the opening of the ‘Kingston On The Edge’ art event, confirmed that audience response, as there was laughter throughout the screening and positive comments after.

The film uses footage of the six Jamaican Olympic Gold races, threaded through with reactions from Jamaican crowds watching at home and in the streets, interviews with the track stars themselves, comments from parents, friends, celebrities and sports figures, as well as the man-in-the-street. At the same time the film gives a clue that answers the title question, when it includes a youth track & field competition being held on a Port Antonio field while the Olympics are actually taking place that shows the enthusiasm and interest in athletics that begins at a young age in Jamaica.

Garcia-Guereta has been coming to Jamaica for more than a decade, spending half the year at his Port Antonio home and the other half in Europe where his high-tech company uses state-of-the art cameras to make historic records of such ancient treasures as the Pyramids of Egypt and the treasures of the British Museum. Shirley Hanna, mother of Miss World Lisa Hanna, is co-director with Fernando of Nice Time Productions, a Jamaican film and music company that produced the film. Nice Time Productions is already working on a second Jamaican film, “Hit Me With Music”, a documentary on dancehall.

‘Why Do Jamaicans Run So Fast’ has an extensive sound track of reggae music from the 60s to today, with hits by Elephant Man and Movado (who also appears in the film), as well as Desmond Dekker, the Heptones and Bob Marley. “We wanted the film to be totally Jamaican,” they explain “so we did what was necessary to acquire the right music to accompany the pictures.”

Asked of his hopes for the film winning the Best Documentary award, Garcia-Guerta says: “I’ll be very happy, because it will be like Jamaica winning another Gold medal. Everyone will be glad to see Jamaica win again.”

The film will be screened at Miami Beach - Friday, June 26 - Colony Theater 12:40 PM and Cinematechique, Espanola Way at 10:30 AM.

Photos: (Center) Island Village, Ocho Rios audience
(Bottom - L-R): Shirley Hanna, Angela Patterson, CEO - CPTC; Fernando Garcia-Guerata, director "Why Do Jamaicans Run So Fast"; Barbara Blake Hannah; Perry Cassagnol, Director - "The Forgotten Father" (front) Izyah Thorb, actor.

Implementing the EPA

Implementing the Economic Partnership Agreement

In recent months I have been one of several members of the Creative Industries who have been funded and/or are seeking funding through one of the several Clusters supported by the European Union through Jamaica Trade & Invest (JTI). The Clusters of the Visual & Performing Arts (including Film), Fashion, Authors & Publishers all have been using various options for production, marketing, training and outreach supported by generous budgets available on application from the EU agreements.

As the Creative Industries stand to benefit greatly from the provisions of the EPA, and curious to hear what Prime Minister Golding had to say on the topic, I attended (uninvited) the opening day of a Conference held in Kingston on Implementing the Economic Partnership Agreement between CARICOM countries and the EU.

As the Prime Minister explained several ways in which the EPA will strengthen CARICOM markets, I was surprised – nay, shocked! -- to see that I was the only member of the Jamaican creative industries present in the room. The bullet list of co-operation commitments to CARICOM in the EPA highlights cultural cooperation in the film/audio-visual, performing arts, fashion and publishing industries, yet no representative from these were present, despite the active work already being done by members of these industries to export their work and products to EU countries.

One bright light shone during the day’s long list of presenters: Josanne Leonard of Trinidad’s Miribai Communications, an experienced and passionate veteran of Caribbean cultural activism, who gave a heartfelt presentation in which she stated her equal surprise at the absence of Jamaica’s cultural practitioners at the event. Grasping the crux of the matter, Ms. Leonard stated that the EPA needs to be explained to the region’s population in ways and media they can understand, rather than at meetings where heads of regional organisations talk together. Pointing out that the Caribbean’s creative industries were already interacting with Europe through co-productions in music, film and fashion, she begged for a new approach using popular Internet media to communicate the important message of the Economic Partnership Agreement.

The absence of Jamaica’s official cultural representatives was embarrassing. I later learnt that the conference was being transmitted live on PBCJ, but as there was no prior notice in the media of this coverage, I doubt that the message was received by those who need to hear it. Let’s hope Josanne Leonard’s recommendations are implemented for the next round of information on the EPA. Her presentation showed that the region’s creative industries would benefit greatly if CARICOM engaged her strong advocacy and knowledge of cultural matters more often and more officially to represent our region’s interests.

I hope the Prime Minister’s excellent speech is repeated often enough for Jamaicans to hear his careful explanation of just what the EPA is, and what benefits Jamaica can gain from it.

BARBARA BLAKE HANNAH
Jamaica Media Productions