Olivia “Babsy” Grange, minister of culture, gender, entertainment and sport, has appointed a new entertainment advisory board, which she said should assist in constructing a viable and vibrant creative economy.
The board comprises: Lenford Salmon, chairman; Gussie Clarke, deputy chairman; Councillor Duane Smith; Kingsley Cooper; Clifton “Specialists” Dillon; Dr Carlene Davis-Cowan; Dr Sonjah Stanley-Niah; Paula Surtees; Bunny Brown; Howard McIntosh; Herbie Miller; Clyde McKenzie; Michael “Ibo” Cooper; Joseph Bogdanovich; Karen Smith; Jacqueline Knight-Campbell; Shelly-Ann Curran; and Kamal Bankay.
Speaking in the Sectoral Debate in Parliament on Tuesday, Grange said she plans to hold discussions with Edmund Bartlett, minister of tourism, to determine what is served to visitors as Jamaican entertainment.
“Our aim is for every visitor who arrives in Jamaica to experience the distinctive sounds and images of our Jamaican music. In this setting we will be able to provide further opportunities for increased employment and financial growth for our musicians,” said Grange.
“This is an industry which grew out of the pockets of persons who simply loved the music. Some have done well for themselves whilst gaining worldwide recognition for our country. We have to now position ourselves to maximize earnings from the industry. This requires appropriate infrastructure to train, develop, and support all the various practitioners within the value chain of services that are directly or indirectly aligned to this industry,” she said.She also said her ministry intends to engage the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information; Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts; University of Technology, Jamaica; the University of the West Indies; community colleges, and HEART Trust/NTA, to promote new approaches to music as an industry rather than the traditional approach of music as recreation.
— By Balford Henry
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