Kingston 27 June 2019 - Jamaica’s 57th anniversary of Independence is to be celebrated under the theme “One Nation, One People.”

This has been disclosed by Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange.

Minister Grange said the theme was chosen because it speaks to a very important area of focus on which the nation must pay attention:

“We are at a very critical time in our life as a nation. We are witnessing the transition from one generation to the next and I believe that unity has to be a very important ingredient in the process to help us to solidify the gains we have made so far and build on them for the future.”

Ms. Grange said that while the country continues to celebrate the International Decade for People of African Ancestry, it is very important in the wider Jamaican context to observe the tenets of the national motto, ‘Out of Many, One People’.

“We must always be reminded that this nation is a melting pot of cultures, built by people from many different ancestries. It is remarkable what we have been able to achieve by working together and it is that spirit of unity that we want to engender as we celebrate our Independence and look to the future,” she added.

Minister Grange said that Jamaicans at home and abroad should look forward to a very spirited Independence celebration as the Ministry is working hard to make sure that events such as the Jamaica Festival Song Competition, the Jamaica Festival Queen Competition, the Jamaica Gospel Song Competition and the Grand Gala are spectacles to be remembered.

“This year we will welcome various Heads of Government for Independence and we intend to display the best of Jamaica as the eyes of the world will be upon us. We will be streaming most of our activities to the Diaspora so that everyone feels a part of the Jamaica 57 celebrations. We are well advanced in our planning and things have been going well,” she said.

The Jamaica Festival Song Grand Final will be held on July 27, at the National Arena in Kingston, with the Emancipation Jubilee slated for July 31, at Seville in St. Ann. The National Arena will also host the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Grand Coronation on Emancipation Day, August 1, the World Reggae Dance Championship Grand Final on August 2, Mello-Go-Roun on August 3, the Jamaica Gospel Song Grand Final on August 4 and the Pop and Variety Grand Final on August 5. Grand Gala will be held on Independence Day, August 6 at the National Stadium.

For more information on the Independence celebrations, persons may contact the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission at: the JCDC Head Office at 3-5 Phoenix Avenue in Kingston Tel: (876) 926-5726-9, or on the JCDC’s website www.jcdc.gov.jm.