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Culturefest kick-starts St Bess celebrations

Published:Thursday | February 23, 2012 | 12:00 AM
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A reading of Aston Cooke's 'Jonkanoo Jamboree', a play written especially for Jamaica's 50th Independence celebration, will be one of the highlights of the Talking Trees Literary Fiesta in St Elizabeth on Saturday.
An appearance is also expected from Dr Michael Abrahams. - file
A. Igoni Barrett is not to be missed.
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The community of Treasure Beach will kick off its celebrations of Jamaica's 50th anniversary of Independence with the inaugural staging of Treasure Beach Culturefest 2012 this weekend. Treasure Beach Culturefest 2012 will offer cultural, sporting, music, literary, and visual art events at various locations and forms part of the community's official Jamaica 50 and Black History Month celebrations.

Treasure Beach Culturefest 2012 is expected to attract local and international visitors to the area and will serve to expose them to Jamaica's traditional cultural art forms, while enhancing economic activities in the community. Accommodation providers, food and craft vendors, and other business interests are expected to benefit from the influx of visitors to the area.

The weekend of activities will kick off tomorrow with Culture Night at Taino Cove, under the theme 'A Treasure Hunt of Fashion and Tales'.

On Saturday, Two Seasons Guest House (www.2seasonsguesthouse.com) will be the place to be for lovers of the written and spoken word for the second staging of 'Two Seasons Talking Trees Literary Fiesta'.

Action then moves to the newly reopened South Jammins, where Chanteuse Sharon Martini accompanied by Edison Valencia, classical pianist and assistant professor of Music at Northern Caribbean University, will once again present 'An Evening of Song', an eclectic evening of melodic meanderings.

The late-night action moves to Jack Sprat restaurant on the beach when patrons will be entertained by popular Negril Reggae artiste Dolly Man and the incomparable Uprising disco.

Kicks off on saturday

Treasure Beach Culturefest 2012 will also offer an added component for sports fans with the staging of the EduSport Sports Festival at the Treasure Beach Sports Park on Saturday and Sunday. This sporting cavalcade that kicks off on Saturday morning at 10 will see students from Sandy Bank, Pedro Plains, Geneva, Newcombe Valley, Munro Prep, Mayfield, and Epping Forest who are participants in EduSport, a new primary-school initiative that gets children playing for success, displaying their football skills.

Sunday's sporting event will be the official opening of the newly constructed multi-purpose court which was sponsored by Scotiabank. The court will be opened by Marva Bernard, president of the Jamaica Netball Association. Special guests will be members of the boards of Scotiabank and Breds Sport Park. This will be followed by two friendly cricket matches between Treasure Beach Masters and Powell Masters and between Treasure Beach Cricket Club and Uprising Cricket Club.

A shuttle service from strategic locations in the community to all events will be provided by Treasure Tours, and further information can be had at the official website www.treasurebeach.net/culturefest2012.

Treasure Beach Culturefest 2012 is sponsored by treasurebeach.net, Taino Cove Resort, 2 Seasons Guest House, Lady Bird Designs, Jakes Resort, Jack Sprat Restaurant, Breds Sports Park, and Treasure Tours.