Kingston, 11 September 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, announced today that a group of investors from Canada that are “standing by” to build an ice rink along with a bob-sled practice track and an 800-room boutique hotel on Jamaica’s north coast.

Minister Grange spoke at the press conference called by the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Administration (JAAA) to announce Jamaica’s team to the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, later this month.

“At this time, I will not say exactly where on the North Coast but will do so soon. The ice rink will facilitate tournaments and pre-season training. The investors are ready right now to sign a memorandum of understanding to get the activity going. They will be visiting Jamaica shortly.”

The sport Minister said Jamaica became a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation in May 2012, the first Caribbean nation to do so. “But in order to compete at the Winter Olympics the country must have at least one ice rink and a development programme,” she said.

The Sport Minister also congratulated Jamaica’s Senior Men’s Ice Hockey team once again for creating history by winning the AmeriGol-Latam Cup on Sunday in Coral Springs, Florida in the USA.
“It was a splendid performance as Jamaica continues to show the rest of the world how good we can be in sports which are not traditional to us.”

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Kingston, 7 September 2019 - The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has congratulated the Jamaica Senior Men’s Ice Hockey team for “a splendid display in which you created history by winning the AmeriGol-Latam Cup in Coral Springs, Florida in the USA.”

The Jamaica team beat Colombia 2-0 on penalties in the final today after the match was tied 2-2 at full time. The other teams in the competition were Venezuela, Mexico, Chile, Brazil and Argentina.

Minister Grange said:

“Jamaica continues to show the rest of the world how good we can be in sports which are not traditional to us and I really want our Senior Men’s Ice Hockey Team to know how proud we are of what they have accomplished on the ice.”

Miss Grange said the Jamaica Ice Hockey Federation must also be highly commended for the fine showing of the team.

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Kingston, 5 September 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has named members of the Independent Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel for the next three years.

Minister Grange said the appointment of the Panel is in keeping with the Anti-Doping in Sport Act and the World Anti-Doping Code.

Attorney-at-Law, Kent Gammon, is returned as Chairman.

The two Vice Chairmen are Hugh Faulkner and Georgia Gibson-Henlin, both Attorneys-at-Law.

The other members of the Panel are:

• Dr. Donovan Calder, Medical Practitioner
• Dr. Marjorie Vassell, Medical Practitioner
• Dr. Japheth Ford, Medical Practitioner
• Dean Martin, former Vice President of the Jamaica Paraplegic Sports and Social Club
• Heron Dale, former President of the Jamaica Football Federation
• Denise Forrest, former President of the Jamaica Women’s Hockey Association


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Kingston, 4 September 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has called an urgent meeting with leaders in the Entertainment industry to develop a strategy to assist the people of the Bahamas who’ve been affected by hurricane Dorian.

Minister Grange said she was “moved to tears by images of the devastation in the Bahamas and we must help in every way that we can.”

Several leaders in the Entertainment industry will attend the meeting at the Minister’s office in New Kingston on Wednesday, 4 September starting at 6pm.

“I will sit with members of the industry and together we will come up with the best response to the devastation in the Bahamas,” said Minister Grange.

Minister Grange has pledged Jamaica’s assistance in communications with the head of the Gender Bureau in the Bahamas, Jacinta Higgs. Minister Grange has also reached out to the Bahamian Minister with responsibility for Gender and Family Affairs, the Honourable Frankee Campbell; and the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, the Honourable Lancsha Rolle.

Minister Grange says she’s confident that the Entertainment industry will respond to the situation in the Bahamas.

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Kingston, 2 September 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has officially launched Miss Lou 100 — commemorating the centenary of “the mother of Jamaican culture,” the Honourable Louise Bennett Coverley.

Speaking at a Service of Honour and Praise at Coke Memorial Methodist Church in Downtown, Kingston on Sunday, Minister Grange said:

“Miss Lou devoted her life to restore and redeem the language of the mass of the people. Amid great criticism from the well-to-do who now ruled the society, Miss Lou almost single-handedly brought confidence and respect to our Jamaican Language.”

Minister Grange said it was fitting to begin the celebrations at Coke Memorial Methodist Church, where Louise Bennett, at the age of 17, made her first public appearance, reciting a Jamaican dialect poem she had written.

Minister Grange thanked the church for its role in nurturing and showcasing Miss Lou’s talent and urged all churches across the island to participate in the celebration of Miss Lou 100.

Minister Grange said:

“Today, we begin our hundred days celebration of legacy. In this celebration, I am appealing to the church and to our seniors to bring knowledge of Miss Lou and her achievements to our children and young people. It is a part of the heritage transfer expected of the people of God, that we should find ways to ensure that generations to come and those still unborn are brought to knowledge of their culture and heritage by those of us who know the stories of our past. When we fail to do so, our society crumbles into disrepair because of ignorance. It is the responsibility of the older generations to transfer the knowledge of our past to later generations. In all this, the church must play a role.”

Miss Lou 100 is being celebrated over the course of 100 days starting from September 1, 2019.

The celebrations will include the official renaming of Gordon Town Square to Miss Lou Square by Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, on Sunday, 8 September 2019.

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Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago 19 August 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed deep sadness at the passing of Jamaican musicologist and composer, Noel Dexter.

Minister Grange said:

“I was saddened to learn of the passing of another of Jamaica's icons in music - Noel Dexter. Mr Dexter's choral compositions were quintessentially Jamaican and Caribbean in flavour.

His impact as choir director of the University Singers is legendary. He leaves a great legacy in what he did to promote our culture and the many lives that he’s touched.

Noel Dexter’s passing has created a void in our musical landscape.

I offer sincerest condolences to his family and friends.”

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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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Kingston, 16 August 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, is leading Jamaica’s delegation to CARIFESTA which begins on Friday (today) in Trinidad and Tobago.

CARIFESTA — the Caribbean Festival of the Arts — is the largest cultural and artistic event to be staged in the Caribbean.

Minister Grange says CARIFESTA presents an opportunity for Jamaican creatives to market their products and services.

“This year, Jamaica is sending one of the biggest delegations ever to CARIFESTA — 168 people including artisans, fashion designers, writers and publishers, dance companies, theatre groups, and gospel performer Kevin Downswell,” said Minister Grange.

The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has facilitated Jamaica’s participation in CARIFESTA 2019 through financial support of 73 performers in the delegation.

Minister Grange says it is important for the Ministry to help finance the delegation especially after the tremendous success of Jamaica’s delegation to the last CARIFESTA two years ago.

Minister Grange says:
“In 2017, Jamaica’s delegation to CARIFESTA in Barbados, which numbered approximately 50 members, benefitted tremendously from the business opportunities generated by their participation. I am pleased to demonstrate the full support of the Government again — as we did in 2017. We are the mecca of creativity and we are determined to monetise our creativity for larger income flows to practitioners, and facilitating the participation of Jamaican creatives in activities such as CARIFESTA helps us to achieve our objective.”
CARIFESTA XIV will be held from August 16 to 25 under the theme Connect, Share, Invest.

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Kingston, 13 August 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced the appointment of the National Council on Reparations for the period 29 July 2019 to 28 July 2022.

Minister Grange said the Council — which is within the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport — is tasked with formulating strategies to claim, secure and dispense reparations due to the people of Jamaica for the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

The Council, chaired by Laleta Davis-Mattis, includes a diverse membership that possesses the requisite skills to advance the argument of Reparation for the people of Jamaica. The members are drawn from the Legal Fraternity, Academia, the Rastafari Community, Civil Society, the Church and the public sector.

The members are:
Mrs. Laleta Davis-Mattis (Chairperson)
Mr. Bert Samuels (Deputy Chairman)
Professor Verene Shepherd
Mr. Frank Phipps, QC
Lord Anthony Gifford, QC
Dr. Jahlani Niaah
Professor Rupert Lewis
Mr. Steven Golding
Dr. Michael Barnett
Professor Clinton Hutton
Mr. Donald Roberts, CD
Mr. Michael Holgate
Ras Lanceroy Ho-Shing
Mr. Vivian Crawford
Ms. Jo-Anne Archibald
Pastor Bruce A. Fletcher 
Reverend Stephen Jennings, PhD
Dr. Winsome Gordon
Ms. Lorraine Williams Tafari
Ms. Tamika Peart, PhD

The Council also advises the government on matters related to reparatory justice.

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Kingston, 9 August 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says that Jamaica and Kenya have agreed to cooperate in the fields of sports, culture and heritage.

Minister Grange says the agreement was finalised during the recent State Visit of the President of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta.

Minister Grange signed the Memorandum of Understanding formalising the cooperation agreement with the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage, Ambassador Amina Mohamed.

Under the MOU, Jamaica and Kenya have agreed to cooperate in the organising of major sporting events in track and field, water sports, football, cycling, cricket, netball, boxing, tennis, golf, martial arts, basketball, rugby and any other discipline that both countries may mutually decide upon.

Minister Grange said:
“Jamaica is the sprint capital of the world and Kenya has a great reputation of producing some of the finest long-distance runners that we have ever known. I believe there is much that we can share not only in track and field, but in other sporting disciplines as well. And so we look forward to exchanges of coaches, administrators and physical education teachers; welcoming Kenyan athletes for training here in Jamaica among other initiatives which will benefit both of our countries.”

Jamaica and Kenya have also agreed to collaborate on sports science, the promotion of sports for people with special needs, and the implementation of anti-doping policies, procedures and practices within the World Anti-Doping Agency system.

Regarding culture and heritage, the areas of cooperation will include collaboration between the National Archives of both countries with a focus on digitisation and modernisation of the entities; cultural exchange in the cultural and creative industries; cooperation between the national museums in the field of heritage research, protection, conservation and management as well as exchange of experts.

Minister Grange said: We would wish to see visits of cultural and creative practitioners including musicians, dancers, actors, theatre groups and visual artists. And so we encourage the participation of our cultural and creative practitioners in festivals in both countries with a view to enhancing the strong cultural links between Jamaica and Kenya.

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