Jamaica on show

Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

The endorsement of Brand Jamaica by Grammy-Award winning multi-platinum recording artiste, Celine Dion, is the highlight of the HBO Latin America/Flow-collaborated Where the Music is Always Alive: Jamaica Jazz & Blues 2012 documentary.

The programme, which makes its debut in the Caribbean on August 4 and throughout Latin America in September, showcases the art of Music Production's Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival, which this year featured legendary artistes such as Dion, Shaggy, Damian 'Jr Gong' Marley, John Holt and Jully Black.

A fitting tribute to Jamaica 50, the film was unveiled in the gardens of The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, Kingston, Wednesday night.

Easily among the créme de la créme of the marketing tools capable of positioning the tourism product, the excitement was evident on the face of Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Dr Wykeham McNeill.

"This is a particularly exciting project as it is the result of the type of partnership that will perpetuate sustainable growth for the tourism and entertainment industries," he admitted during his address at the event.

Caribbean entertainment capital

He said that not only will the film highlight the fact that Jamaica is celebrating its 50th anniversary of Independence, but will reinforce the fact that the country is the entertainment capital of the Caribbean.

For her part, president and COO of Flow, Michele English, speaking like a woman who has embraced the rich Jamaican culture, described the documentary as an incredible endorsement of "our people, our heritage and our culture".

According to English, this was an extremely important opportunity for her company to use its technology and platforms to help extend the reach of Jamaica by highlighting the very best of what the island has to offer.

This is the second year that Flow has partnered with HBO, demonstrating its continued commitment to support, share and celebrate local culture with the rest of the world.

The half-hour programme will have a repeat showing on Independence Day, Monday, August 6. Additional showings will air in the Caribbean throughout August and September. The show will also be available to HBO On Demand subscribers (contingent upon cable operator).

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com