Entertainment industry bouncing back nicely – Grange
16,000 events since pandemic; Fort Rocky almost ready
With 16,000 being the number of events which have been held since the entertainment space has been reopened post-pandemic, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange is hailing this as a move in the right direction.
Grange, who was the guest speaker at the launch of Junior Reid’s One Blood Family Fest concert at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel last Tuesday evening, touched on many topics of interest to music industry practitioners, and had the rapt attention of those present at the intimate gathering.
“I am pleased that after COVID, the entertainment industry is picking up again. Interestingly enough, I was checking and after COVID, we have had like 16,0000 events, including the movie about Marley, and I thought we are really bouncing back nicely; and if we keep this up, we will rebuild and come strong again as an industry,” Grange said, to loud applause.
During the pandemic years from March 2020 up until the first few months of 2022, the entertainment industry was under tight lockdown and there were dire predictions as weekly dances, concerts and various shows grounded to a halt. Financial analyst Dennis Chung, in an interview on Power 106 in December 2021 declared that the sector could die a slow death if it continued to be under pandemic lockdown. He suggested that the industry could be reopened for vaccinated people and steps taken to manage the then prevalent, but less severe, Omicron variant, otherwise, “in another year’s time, we could not have an entertainment industry”.
Like the minister, the chairman of the Entertainment Advisory Board, Howard McIntosh, recently lauded the strides made by the entertainment industry post-pandemic.
“This post-pandemic period, which is really the return of the Roaring ‘20s, represents one of great opportunity for Jamaica and the entire entertainment industry. We are pleased to see that all of the properly organised and wellpromoted events have done well,” McIntosh told The Gleaner.
FORT ROCKY
Sticking to news under her entertainment portfolio, the minister gave an update on Fort Rocky in Port Royal, which is Jamaica’s first designated entertainment zone. These zones are areas in which any legal entertainment and sports activity can be staged any time of day or night unhindered, once the organisers are mindful of the historical value of such sites. Some view it as an antidote to the vexing Noise Abatement Act.
Grange stated, “I want to bring you a little up-to-date [notice] on the fact that we are almost there in having that venue available. But interestingly enough, we have to do one last thing ... we had to do an impact assessment survey to see how the sound and the lights will affect the endemic species in the sea. For example, the turtles come out and nest there.”
She explained that an official request was made by the National Environment and Planning Agency.
“The study is going on right now. It is an eight-week study ... so it’s not simply just getting the venue ready, but getting everything right,” Grange emphasised.
The minister told the gathering that she was taking notice of the fact that quite a few shows were being held at Plantation Cove in St Ann. It is the venue for the One Blood Family Fest, which will be held on June 3, and which will also double as a celebration for the 60th ‘earthstrong’ of former Black Uhuru member Junior ‘One Blood’ Reid.
Sharing that she and Junior Reid have a long history, Grange congratulated him on his venture, and pointed out that the June 3 date was significant to her, as it was the birthday of her beloved grandmother who raised her.
Junior Reid told guests that the day-and-night event was his way of bringing back a much-needed sense of family in the music, and this tied in perfectly with his musical One Blood anthem, as well as speaker Clyde McKenzie’s message on the link between One Love and One Blood.
The event boasts a line-up of veteran and contemporary roots artistes such as Fred Locks, Cedric Myton (of The Congos), Winston McAnuff, Sister Carol, Sizzla, Stephen Marley, Julian Marley, Jahmiel, I Wayne, Turbulence, Warrior King, Kiddus-I, Big Youth, Louie Culture, Chezidek and man of the moment, Junior Reid.
Sister Carol, Turbulence and Warrior King gave a taste of what to expect at the One Blood Family Fest on June 3.