Jamaican-americans go carolling for the children in Florida
Members of the Jamaican Diaspora showed up in full force at the Plantation United Methodist Church in broward County, Florida, over the Christmas holidays to hear the musical stylings of the south Florida Caribbean Chorale, directed by Jamaican-born steve Higgins.
An acclaimed singer, songwriter and entertainer, Higgins founded the chorale to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but also to promote awareness of Jamaican culture to younger members of the Diaspora, who may be first-generation Americans, as well as to Americans less familiar with Jamaican culture.
The event was held under the patronage of the Jamaican Consulate General, with Consul General to Miami Oliver Mair performing a musical number to the delight of the appreciative audience who participated lustily in the singing of Jamaican Christmas carols, including “Never a Baby like Jesus”; “Come Dung to All a We”; and “When de Star of Bethlehem Arise”.
Higgins, who expressed his abundant pride in the production, stating: “It means a lot to us to be able to give this Christmas treat to the community, heralding the season, and giving folks a Jamaican taste of the most wonderful time of the year. We are always happy to see the packed church of happy people welcoming Christmas!”
Mair commented on the masterful performances, calling the show “excellent,” and lauding it for showcasing Jamaican Christmas songs from Noel Dexter, Miss Lou, Olive Lewin, among others. Mair also heartily congratulated Higgins for a job well done.
Jamaican-american Alison Smith, the first woman of colour to head the Broward County Bar Association in its almost 100-year existence, was in attendance, and remarked how festive the occasion was, how it put everyone in a good mood, and how meaningful it was to her to feel like a little bit of home away from home.
“I love music, love carolling, and love celebrating the holiday season, so this ticked all the boxes. The icing on the top was the Jamaican carols, many of which I have not heard in a long time,” she said.
The mission of the 18-yearold South Florida Caribbean Chorale is to preserve, expose and present Caribbean culture by way of a variety of traditional musical performances and workshops across the Diaspora.
Captions:
Steve Higgins, who founded the South Florida Caribbean chorale, is the company of Consul General Oliver Mair and Alison Smith, first black president of the almost 100year-old Broward County Bar Association.