Kingston, 13 September 2024 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says the theme for National Heritage Week 2024, is ‘One Love, One People, One Heritage’.

National Heritage Week will be observed from October 14 to 21, National Heroes Day.

Minister Grange says, “Under the theme of ‘One Love, One People, One Heritage’, we are celebrating at once our unity and our diversity. It honours our rich cultural traditions, customs and contributions that make our nation unique and strong. Let us come together around our shared history, traditions, and values.

One of the major events during the Week is the Thanksgiving Church Service, on Sunday, October 20, at the High Holborn Street Church of God of Prophesy in downtown Kingston.

On National Heroes’ Day the traditional Salute to the Heroes will take place at National Heroes Park, where floral tributes will be laid at the shrines and monuments of Jamaica’s seven National Heroes.

This will be followed by the Ceremony of Investiture and Presentation of National Honours and Awards at King’s House, as well as civic ceremonies in parish capitals.

Minister Grange is encouraging all Jamaicans to take part in the Heritage Week celebrations.

Minister Grange noted that agencies under her Ministry, including the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, and the Institute of Jamaica, will be staging events in the month of October.

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Kingston, 14 October 2022 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has welcomed to Jamaica the President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie.

Prince Ermias, the grandson of the Emperor Haile Selassie, arrived in Jamaica on Thursday night (last night) and was met at Norman Manley International Airport by a welcoming party led by Minister Grange.

Minister Grange told him that the nation was looking forward to his visit as the country continues the Jamaica 60 celebrations.

The Prince is the nation’s special guest for Heritage Week.

He is accompanied on his trip to Jamaica by his wife, Princess Saba Kebede, as well as members and advisors of the Ethiopian Crown Council.

Prince Ermias will be engaged in a number of official activities over the next week including meetings with members of the Rastafarian community.

Today, he’s scheduled to make courtesy calls on the Governor-General, Sir Patrick Allen; the Deputy Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr Horace Chang; the President of the Senate, Senator the Honourable Thomas Tavares-Finson; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Honourable Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert.

Prince Ermias will also pay a visit to Liberty Hall, The Legacy of Marcus Garvey, at King Street this afternoon. He will tour the facility and view artefacts on the life and work of the National Hero. There will also be displays by the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica Memory Bank.

Minister Grange said it is “significant and momentous that Prince Ermias should visit the headquarters of Marcus Garvey, who dedicated his life to promoting pride in our African ancestry.”

The Minister said the Prince’s visit is a “stark reminder that our ancestors were kings and queens in Africa prior to enslavement and that this royal ancestry continues to this day.”

The Immaculate Conception High School Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Steven Woodham, will provide music for the Prince’s visit to Liberty Hall.

The Symphony Orchestra is currently in rehearsal for a concert on November 6, 2022 at Jamaica College Auditorium.

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Kingston, 13 October 2022 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says a major activity for Heritage Week will be the lighting of the monuments in National Heroes Park this weekend.

The event being dubbed ‘Our Heroes: Walking in their Light’ will see the monuments to the National Heroes being enhanced with light art.

Minister Grange says it will be “a spectacular two-night event that will showcase the monuments to the National Heroes in a different light.”

According to Minister Grange “the event will not only transform the nightscape and create a visually pleasing experience for Jamaicans, but it will also present the monuments as beautiful works of art befitting the outstanding people in whose honour they were created.”

The monuments to the former Prime Ministers in the National Heroes Park will also be lit up as part of the experience.

Minister Grange is inviting Jamaicans to witness this special light show which will take place on Saturday and Sunday between 6pm and 9pm each evening, free to the public.

“It will be a great family event; a great opportunity to teach, especially the young ones, about the work and sacrifice of our National Heroes and former Prime Ministers and it will be a moving experience.”

The President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, His Imperial Highness, Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, who is the nation’s special guest for Heritage Week is expected to attend the light show.

The Prince will also attend the Ceremony of Investiture and Presentation of National Honours and Awards at King’s House on Heroes’ Day.

Other activities for Heritage Week include the Fun in the Son Community Engagement, at Pembroke Hall High School grounds on Saturday from 10am to 10pm.

The National Heritage Week Interfaith Service will take place at Mona Chapel on Sunday afternoon beginning at 4:00PM.

There’s also the Revival Time Music Festival, a celebration of indigenous Revival Culture, featuring a full day convention and choirs in a sing-off on Sunday from 9am to 10pm at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre.

Heritage Week is being celebrated under the theme ‘Re-igniting Greatness through our Heritage’.

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Kingston, 7 October 2022 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says members of the Rastafari community will have special access to the President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, His Imperial Highness, Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, who will arrive in the island next week.

Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, the grandson of the Emperor Haile Selassie, will arrive in Jamaica on Thursday, 13 October 2022 for a week of official engagements.

Minister Grange says Prince Ermias’ schedule includes three specially arranged meetings with members of the Rastafari community across the island.

The first meeting will take place at Pitfour Nyahbinghi Centre in Montego Bay, St James on Saturday, 15 October 2022 between 11am and 1pm when the Rastafari Coral Gardens Benevolent Society will host the Prince at a Reasoning.

The event at Pitfour Nyahbinghi Centre will follow a Civic Ceremony at the St James Municipal Corporation where the Mayor, Councillor Leeroy Williams, will present Prince Ermias with the Key to the City of Montego Bay in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr Horace Chang, and the Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, the Honourable Homer Davis.

On Sunday, 16 October 2022, Prince Ermias will attend Communion Service at the Holy Trinity Ethiopian Orthodox Church at Maxfield Avenue in St Andrew beginning at 8:30am. Following the Service, he will meet with members of the Orthodox Community.

Then on Tuesday, 18 October 2022, the Prince will tour the Trench Town Culture Yard in St Andrew at 3pm and meet with members of the Rastafari community.

Minister Grange has invited members of the Rastafari community to attend these special engagements with Prince Ermias. She has called on the nation to extend to him and his delegation a warm Jamaican welcome.

Prince Ermias will be accompanied on his trip to Jamaica by his wife, Princess Woizero Saba Kebede, as well as members and advisors of the Ethiopian Crown Council.

The Prince will be the nation’s special guest for Heritage Week and will attend a number of activities including the National Honours and Awards Ceremony at King’s House on Heroes’ Day.

Heritage Week will be celebrated under the theme ‘Re-igniting Greatness through our Heritage’.

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Kingston, 30 September 2022 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced that the President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, His Imperial Highness, Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, will be the nation’s special guest for Heritage Week.

Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, the grandson of the Emperor Haile Selassie, will arrive in Jamaica on Thursday, 13 October 2022 for a week of official engagements.

The Prince will attend a number of activities in celebration of Heritage Week, including the National Honours and Awards Ceremony at King’s House and the National Heritage Week Interfaith Service.

He will also meet with the nation’s leaders including the Governor-General, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition as well as members of the Ethiopian and Rastafari communities and the National Council on Reparations.

Minister Grange says the visit of Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie is part of the ongoing celebration of Jamaica 60. She says she looks forward to welcoming him and his delegation to Jamaica. The Minister says she is “very happy that the Prince’s visit will take place during Heritage Week when the nation pays tribute to the work and sacrifice of the National Heroes as well as the everyday heroes who make such a difference in our communities.”

Heritage Week — which culminates with National Heroes’ Day on Monday, 17 October 2022 — will be celebrated under the theme ‘Re-igniting Greatness through our Heritage’.

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October 5, 2017

Kingston Jamaica: National Heritage Week 2017 will kick-off with the Jamaica 55 National Heritage Week Interfaith Service on Sunday, October 8.