Kingston, 4 August 2023 – The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission is advising that because of high demand there are no more tickets for the Grand Gala, scheduled for August 6, at the National Stadium.

The JCDC says that the tickets went quickly at the eight outlets and at the Jamaica Festival Village owing to the popularity of the Gala which is the largest event on the Festival Calendar and for which there is no admission fee.

The JCDC is encouraging people attending the Grand Gala on Sunday to dress in the national colours. The gates open at 3:00 p.m.

The JCDC however is advising that there will be a Gala Watch Party in the Jamaica Festival Village at the National Arena. Tickets for the Gala Watch Party are available at the JCDC booth in the Village. The gates open at 1:00 p.m. and the Watch Party gets underway at 5:30 p.m.

The Jamaica Festival Village showcases Jamaican food, fashion, art and craft. It also provided the venue for the Jamaica Festival Song Results show, the Festival Queen coronation, the Jamaica Gospel Star Final show and Mello Go-Round, among other activities.

The Jamaica Festival Village will also be the venue for Old Skool Dance Party – the School Uniform Edition - on Saturday night, August 5, featuring Ernie Smith, Johnny Clarke, Pam Hall, Bongo Herman, Droop Lion, Hezron and Warrior King. Backing band is Lloyd Parkes and We the People Band with host, Richie B.

The JCDC wants people to come out in their school uniforms/colours and represent their schools.

There will be no charge for the Old Skool Dance Party.

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Kingston, 18 July 2022 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced that Jamaican music stalwarts Derrick Morgan and Kevin ‘Sanchez' Jackson will be honoured at the Grand Gala on Independence Day, August 6, at the National Stadium.

They will be presented with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport’s Music Icon Award for their sterling contribution to the popularity of Jamaican music on the world stage.

Minister Grange said:
“As a nation, it is important that we celebrate the achievements of our troubadours who have worked tirelessly to help put Jamaica on the world map.

Derrick is one of the elite group of artistes who has dominated from the eras of Ska and Rocksteady and continues to make an impact to this day. We must always remember that in 1962 Derrick gave us ‘Forward March’, a song which celebrates a significant milestone in our history, Jamaica’s independence from Britain.

Sanchez has a voice that is incomparable. He has remained on top of his game internationally and it is not surprising that he has excelled in both the secular and the gospel arenas.

We are extremely pleased to honour them as we celebrate the Diamond Jubilee.”

The presentation of the Jamaica Music Icon Award has become one of the highly anticipated features of the annual Grand Gala.

Derrick Morgan and Sanchez will join an impressive list of recipients, who include Jimmy Cliff, Marcia Griffiths, Freddie McGregor, Strangejah Cole, Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley, Toots Hibbert and Richie Stephens.

Foundation artiste, Derrick Morgan, has enjoyed a storied career, which has seen him being the only artiste to ever fill the slots from one to seven on the Jamaican pop chart. Among those hits were ‘Don't Call Me Daddy’, ‘In My Heart’, ‘Be Still’ and ‘Meekly Wait and Murmur Not’.

Morgan had a major success in 1962 with ‘Forward March’.

He has also written several songs that have won the Jamaica Festival Song Competition for other artistes, including ‘Jamaica Whoa’, ‘Fi Wi Island A Boom’ and ‘Progress’.

From an early age, Kevin ‘Sanchez’ Jackson sang on both the junior and senior choirs of the Rehoboth Apostolic Church in St Catherine. However, the former choir leader met new friends in high school and soon became a selector for the Rambo Sound system on which many of his close deejay colleagues also worked.

By 1988 he was one of Jamaica's most popular singers, and at his performance at Reggae Sunsplash that year he was called back for six encores. He had further hits with ‘Loneliness Leave Me Alone’ and with his version of Tracy Chapman's ‘Baby Can I Hold You’.

Sanchez has worked with several of Jamaica's top producers and has built an extensive discography of both secular and gospel favourites. His version of the gospel favourite, ‘Amazing Grace’, is a dancehall classic.

The global celebration of Jamaica 60, the Diamond Jubilee, is under the theme Re-igniting a Nation for Greatness.

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Kingston, 4 August 2020 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced that the Jamaican music stars, Shaggy, Marcia Griffiths and Ken Boothe will be honoured during the nation’s Independence celebrations on Thursday.

The three will be presented with Jamaica Reggae Icon Awards at the Independence Spectacular, a virtual edition of the annual Independence Grand Gala, on August 6.

“Covid has forced us to change many things, but it will not stop us celebrating our country and outstanding Jamaicans who’ve been such great role model and inspirations, not only for us, but for the people of the world. It is a great joy to express, on behalf of the nation, our great love and appreciation to Shaggy, Marcia and Ken,” said Minister Grange.

The Independence Spectacular will be held without an audience at the National Arena in keeping with the necessary restrictions on gatherings to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Minister Grange said: “Only the awardees, performers, technical, organising and management teams will be allowed at the venue. However, we have made arrangements for Jamaicans at home and abroad to watch the event live on TVJ and PBCJ and on social media. And it will be a great show.”

The Independence Spectacular will feature presentations in music, drama, song and dance, focused on the theme ‘Wheel and Come Again.’

“Wheel and Come Again is really our aspiration. It is a call to all of us to look at our current circumstances, much of it caused by the pandemic, and to assess, come up with a plan and go again like the resilient and strong Jamaicans that we are,” said Minister Grange.

The event will also feature popular local artistes, including the 2020 Jamaica Festival Song winner, Buju Banton; Kemar Highcon; Beenie Man; Dre Island; Christopher Martin; Tessanne Chin; Wayne Marshall; Kevin Downswell; Kukudoo; Chevaughn; Ikaya; Shereita; and Richie Stephens.

L’Acadco, Dance Xpressionz and Citi Dance Company will also perform on the show which begins at 4pm with the Armed Forces Day Parade and the National Flag Raising Ceremony.

“Each year after the Grand Gala, we would have street parties in major towns across the island, but the reality of covid-19 means we cannot do that this year,” said Minister Grange.

To compensate for the absence of street dances across the island, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport and the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission will be hosting an Independence Night Virtual Street Dance, featuring Ricky Trooper, DJ Boom Boom, Collin Hines, DJ Rodrick, Elephant Man, and Jahvinci.

The Virtual Street Dance, from 8pm to midnight, will be broadcast live on TVJ, RETV, PBCJ, FAME 95FM, HITZ 92FM, Radio Jamaica and online.

The Minister thanked the Jamaica Tourist Board, KFC, Main Event Entertainment Group, Chase Fund and TVJ for enabling the 2020 Independence celebrations.

“The celebrations this year are not what we have become accustomed to and we have to make adjustments. But let’s build a vibe, decorate our spaces in the Jamaican colours, display our flag, and celebrate our country. Resilient and Strong, Let’s celebrate Jamaica 58.”

The JCDC will award prizes for the Best Decorated Town Centre, Best Decorated Business Place, Best Decorated Government Office, Best Decorated Private Residence, Best Diaspora Community Celebration, and Best Media Celebration as part of the Spirit of Independence competition.

“I am inviting Jamaicans at home and abroad to celebrate the Spirit of Independence with vibrant and creative displays of the national colours,” said Minister Grange.

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Kingston, 7 August 2019 (JIS):  Two of the nation’s stalwarts, Alpharita Constantia “Rita” Marley, OD, and entertainer, Mr. Miguel Orlando Collins, also known as Sizzla Kalonji, have been honoured for their contribution to the development of the music industry by the Government of Jamaica.

Both were awarded with Reggae Icon Awards during the Jamaica 57 Independence Grand Gala, held at the National Stadium, on Tuesday (August 6).

Their awards were presented by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness; Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, and the President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta.

Prime Minister Holness said that Rita, widow of one of Jamaica’s pioneers of reggae, Bob Marley, was chosen for this award because of her contribution to the development of the foundation of reggae music, while Sizzla was awarded because he is one musician who has built on that foundation with positive music.

Sizzla, who gave the response on behalf of both awardees, said he is grateful to the Government and the nation, by extension, to recognise him for his contribution to nation building.

“I’m most honoured and most thankful in receiving such an award from such [a] noble nation, people and beautiful Government in the Western Hemisphere. It comes as a bit of [a] surprise,” Sizzla said.

Sizzla was born on April 17, 1976. He was raised in August Town where he still resides. He emerged on the reggae and dancehall scene in the late 1990s with hit singles, such as ‘Black Woman and Child’, ‘Thank you, Mama’, ‘Dry Cry’, ‘Just one of those days’ and ‘Solid as a rock’.

He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artistes, noted for his high number of releases. As of 2018, Sizzla has released 56 albums.

Outside of the music industry, Sizzla has contributed to community development by establishing the Sizzla Youth Foundation which assists youth in August Town in overcoming their struggles and providing a haven from violence.

He also established ‘Judgment Yard’, by turning his August Town home into a Community Centre where he welcomes the community and organises community activities.

Rita was chosen for her award not only because she is the matriarch of the Marley family, but also because she has been a leading member of the Jamaican music industry from her early days as a singer, to her collaboration with Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths who formed the ‘I Threes’ – the former backing vocal group for Bob Marley and the Wailers.

She was also chosen because she has pioneered the development of reggae as a musical form and for contributing to its growth and popularity in Europe, Africa and around the world.

Rita, who was born in Cuba to Leroy Anderson and Cynthia Jarrett, grew up in Greenwich Town, Kingston. Her musical career began in the 1960s. In 1986, she converted Bob Marley’s home into the Bob Marley Museum, which is currently the number one tourist destination in Kingston. She is also the Founder and Chairperson of the Robert Marley Foundation and the Bob Marley Group of Companies.

In 1996, Rita was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican Government. In 2000, she created the Rita Marley Foundation, a non-profit organisation that works to alleviate poverty and hunger in Jamaica and other developing countries.

She received the Marcus Garvey Lifetime Award in 2010, and on August 3, 2013, she was made an Honorary Citizen of Ghana by the Ghanaian Government. In November 2015, she was awarded with an Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree by the University of the West Indies.

On Tuesday, the Government also announced that Rita will be honoured with the fifth highest award in Jamaica, the Order of Jamaica (OJ), on Heroes Day in October.

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Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Honourable Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, has announced the inclusion of ‘Saga Boy’ and ‘Tan Tan’, two iconic pieces from the Trinidad carnival, by renowned Trinidadian artist, Peter Minshall, in this year’s Grand Gala.