Jessie Ripoll drum donation

FROM SATURDAY, February 2, to Sunday, February 10, a group of reggae enthusiasts from the USA visited Jamaica on a mission called ‘Inside Reggae Music – The Ultimate Journey into a Jamaican Cultural-Musical Immersion’.

Hospitality Jamaica published that story in our February 20 issue

One of the places the group visited was Jessie Ripoll Primary School in Kingston. There, the group had a jam session with the music students. And among the participants was vocalist Marissa Lolegeais. She was so impressed with the music programme at Jessie Ripoll that she was moved to contribute to it.

Through Maroghini, a Jamaican master drummer, who also helped to organise the February tour, Lolegeais acquired five drums which she donated to the school. The drums were handed over to the music department during ‘Jamaica Day’ on February 22 in the presence of its vice-principal and music director.

Anthony Postman, one of the participants on the tour, who was still in Jamaica

on Jamaica Day, made the presentation on behalf of Lolegeais. He read Lolegeais’ message, which says, “It was wonderful to meet you and share music. I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to donate some drums to your music programme. I hope that you will not only enjoy jamming on these drums, but respect them, and unlock the very special magic they have within them. Enjoy.”

In responding to the gesture on behalf of the entire Jessie Ripoll family, acting viceprincipal Raphael Davis expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the gifts, likewise the musical director at Jessie Ripoll, Wayne Davis, who said, “With these drums we will beat our own rhythms, thanks very much.”

Prior to the donation, the musical director said, the school, which is very popular in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission annual festival of arts, had only two drums. One was “out of commission” and the other “needed tuning”. Now, Raphael Davis said, “These drums will be the basis for the formation of a drum corps.”

The students present could hardly wait to beat their own rhythms. Accompanied by other instrumentalists, the drummers gave a splendid foretaste of what is to be expected when their drum corps is formed.

Students at Jessie Ripoll Primary School in Kingston playing the drums that were donated to the school by American vocalist Marissa Lelogeais.

PHOTOS BY AFREE KAN Musician Anthony Postman reads a message from American vocalist Marissa Lelogeais, who recently donated five drums to Jessie Ripoll Primary School in Kingston, while acting vice-principal Raphael Davis (gold shirt), students and master drummer Maroghini (right) look on.

Backrow, from left: acting vice-principal Raphael Davis, musician Anthony Postman, master drummer Maroghini, musical director Wayne Davis and some of the music students at Jessie Ripoll Primary School in Kingston posing with drums that were donated to the school by American vocalist Marissa Lelogeais.

Master drummer Maroghini talks to America vocalist Marissa Lelogeais about the Maroon bench drum while she was on a tour of the Charles Town Maroon village in Portland earlier this year.