Safeguarding reggae - Damion Crawford wants UNESCO protection for cultural heritage

Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter

ARGUING THAT Jamaica could reap real benefits if it moves to protect the name 'Reggae', Damion Crawford, the junior minister with responsibility for entertainment, has told Parliament that the Government is getting ready to secure the brand under the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

"UNESCO recognition of 'Reggae' as distinctly Jamaican would also attract funding geared towards the preservation and maintenance of traditional reggae art forms and practitioners," Crawford told legislators on Tuesday as he made his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.

Under the UNESCO convention, intangible cultural heritage is defined as the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, and skills that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage.

Such intangible cultural heritage is manifested either in oral traditions and expressions, including language, performing arts; social practices, rituals and festive events; knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; and traditional craftsmanship.

According to Crawford, the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment has been working alongside the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) and the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce on measures to ensure the protection of Reggae.

"A Cabinet submission from both ministries will be sent to Cabinet with further collaboration expected between JIPO, ourselves and the Ministry of Youth and Culture," Crawford said.

UNESCO, which is the only specialised agency within the United Nations system with a specific mandate in culture, assists its member states in the elaboration and implementation of measures for an effective safeguarding of their cultural heritage.

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Crawford said he is convinced that the potential exists to attract more investors as well as visitors to Jamaica.

The minister noted that Argentina and Uruguay have got similar designation under the UNESCO convention in relation to Tango. He noted that the UNESCO's representative commented that 'Tango' is a musical genre that includes dance, music, poetry, and singing, and is considered one of the main manifestations of identity for the inhabitants of the R'o de la Plata region'.

"Reggae fits perfectly in designation and we are going for Reggae, Dancehall, and Ska," Crawford said.

"There are a multiplicity of benefits, one in particular is that any use of the term 'Reggae' will also have to include Jamaica," the minister said.

The junior minister, speaking at Wednesday's Jamaica House press conference, said that in addition to further exposure for Brand Jamaica, the protecting of Reggae's name would also help in positioning Kingston as an entertainment capital.

'We are trying to have Kingston designated a creative city, and if we can show that Reggae emanated out of Jamaica, especially out of many Kingston areas, it will contribute to having Kingston being seen as a creative city," Crawford said.