By Mel Cooke, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
FRESH PAINT, decades-young music, a few grey hairs and ageless legs were the order of the evening at 11A Osbourne Road, off Grove Road, St. Andrew, on Tuesday evening.
The Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Associates (JAVA) was launched at its home, in the presence of some of the Jamaican entertainers who have the made the biggest impacts over the past four decades.
The grounds of the headquarters were well lit and musical symbols stuck on mango tree trunks emphasised the purpose of the facility. With over 60 members and an executive membership of 17, JAVA currently counts performers, promoters, musicians, disc jockeys, lawyers and publicists in its number.
The benchmark requirement for membership is being active in the music industry for at least 25 years, although Jepther 'Luciano' McClymot lifted his crown to JAVA as its youngest member.
GENESIS
JAVA had its genesis at the funeral of deejay Scotty, when the vintage artistes realised that they tended to gather only when one of their number passed on. A decision was taken to form an association, Tuesday's ceremony being the culmination of the process.
Aloun N'dombet Assamba cut the ribbon to officially open the JAVA headquarters, allowing access to a freshly painted premises with several rooms, which were unfurnished at the time.
With the endorsement of Jamaica Federation of Musicians (JFM) president Desmond Young, who gave an address, Entertainment Advisory Board chair Fae Ellington and Mayor Desmond McKenzie, it was left to Luciano to put the organisation in spiritual perspective.
"I see this as the last train to Zion and I welcome all my brothers and sisters," he said, raising his crown in acknowledgement.
Among JAVA's objectives are developing the headquarters as a mini-Museum/Hall of Fame, establishing and maintaining group life insurance and health insurance for its members, setting up and maintaining a web site and staging regular fund-raising events.
The first of these events, 'Vintage Party of the Year', takes place at the JAVA headquarters tomorrow night, with selections by Merritone Music, Bop 'Alonso Hawk' Campbell, Michael Barnett and others. Admission is $300 each and $500 for couples.
The magnitude and seriousness of the undertaking was underscored when Frankie Campbell of the Fabulous Five Incorporated gave the thank you. "Those at the back who are chatting and not listening, these are the people who you should be grateful to. Oonu chat too much man!" he said, when the din did not subside quickly enough.
He went on to thank people for security, graphic design, lighting, stage, sound, decoration and a host of other things, including parking, which is provided by Kingsway Preparatory school just across the road from the JAVA base.
In addition, as is outlined in the organisation's mission statement: 'JAVA is an organisation dedicated to the preservation of Jamaica's musical heritage through the protection of the professional and social well-being of our vintage artistes and musicians; adherence to high creative standards and support of efforts toward ensuring national understanding of the value and importance of Jamaica's music industry.'
The official ceremony was followed by a 'one song each' performance by artistes including Bobby Ellis, Naomi, Deadly Headley, Ken Boothe, The Mighty Diamonds, Johnny Clarke, Luciano and Carl Dawkins.
See details of JAVA's launch concert in tomorrow's STAR.
