Merritone spreads love
THE Merritone sound system, celebrating its 70th anniversary, made cash donations last Thursday to beneficiaries of their recent virtual show.
Donations were made at Di Bar in St Andrew to musician Errol “Bird” Bailey, Keisha Patterson (partner of late guitarist
Dalton Browne), Gladstone “Gladdy” Parker of Wild Bunch Disco, and singer Sarina Constantine.
Monte Blake, who led the November 20-22 event, said the gesture was made due to challenges faced by persons employed to the music business, which has been badly affected by the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“It was not difficult to make this decision to assist persons experiencing difficulties. It was obvious the entertainment industry was beleaugered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that philanthropy is embedded in the Merritone DNA, it was a natural move,” Blake told the Jamaica Observer. “We had hoped to assist six persons but we fell short.”
The funds, a total of $80,000, came from the event which was dubbed Virtual Reunion. Because of the coronavirus Merritone’s annual shows in Jamaica and North America were cancelled.
Blake’s father Val started Merritone in 1950 in St Thomas, the family’s native parish. His four sons (the others being Trevor, Winston and Tyrone) assumed the reins after his death in 1956 and established Merritone as one of Jamaica’s top ‘sounds’.
Winston, the face of Merritone, died in 2016. Tyrone predeceased him in 2012.