I Love Jamaica telethon, global concerts for hurricane relief

Philanthropy, passion and purpose linked arms on the Rooftop Terrace of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, last Thursday, as media gathered to hear the details of the I Love Jamaica telethon and global concerts, which form part of the national fundraising initiative aimed at supporting Jamaica’s recovery following the grim passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange outlined that, with strong support from sponsors Red Stripe and Digicel, and the commitment of the entertainment fraternity and others, the first event, a telethon, will be held on November 23. I Love Jamaica concerts are confirmed for New York and Miami in the United States, and also in the United Kingdom. The first concert will be held on November 13 in Camden, London and will feature Boy George, Ali Campbell, David Rodigan, Bitty McLean, Emeli Sandé, Carroll Thompson, General Levy, Robbo Ranx, Becca D, Tippa Irie and others.

Grange told The Sunday Gleaner that, in addition to raising funds, the initiative aims “to lift the spirit of the people and mobilise support to assist those who are in need”.

“The entertainment industry wants to play its part. When I got the call from Chris Martin, I couldn’t say to him, ‘No, no, no.’ Because our music is for all seasons. If you’re sad, the music helps; if you’re happy, the music helps,” Grange stated.

And she called out the naysayers who spewed nothing but negativity when a fundraising concert was initially announced. “So, anybody who sees the music and our entertainers doing something at this time as frivolous, they don’t understand the power of our music. They don’t have a clue. And, in fact, they are promoting a [stereotypical] image and knowledge of what music is about, because our music is special. It gives us an opportunity to be strong and it inspires us,” Grange added.

She shared that the last time she led an initiative to do a telethon, $60 million was raised, and the effort was coordinated in merely 10 days. “So we can do it again ... right? We have shifted the date we originally announced, and it will now be November 23. Overall, we’re aiming for a minimum of one million US dollars, not just through the telethon, but through the series of concerts,” the minister said.

She commended individuals and organisations who have reached out. Damian Marley and his organisation are supporting the telethon and the concerts; Sean Paul has committed to the telethon; Bobby Clarke from Irie Jam is leading the effort in New York; the Inner Circle band is at the forefront in Miami; and Shaggy and Sharon Burke are working on another event, the details of which will be revealed soon.

“In the UK, we have two shows already lined up, and I got a call from Serbia, and they want to do something there. In Trinidad, there’s a concert scheduled for Saturday,” Grange shared.

COMPASSION

Christopher Martin, like all of those who addressed the gathering – including Lukie D; Pamputtae; Sean Wallace, head of commerce at Red Stripe; Digicel CEO Stephen Murad and Audrey Marks, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister – spoke straight from the heart.

“As it happened, I asked, ‘How can I help? I can sing. I would love to sing, so a concert would be awesome. So this concert and telethon will do wonders. And I heard Auntie [Minister Olivia Grange] address the negative comments, and it’s very strange to me that we have negative comments about a concert trying to raise funds. But I don’t know the minds [or] the hearts of everybody,” the Big Deal singer said.

Responding on behalf of the entertainers, at times, Martin was overcome with emotion. He congratulated the music fraternity for their swift response to the suffering of the people in the western parishes, reflected on the transitory nature of life, and made an appeal for all voices and hands on deck.

“Like many of you [who] have been watching the videos. I’ve been seeing the photos. I’ve been on the ground. I’ve actually seen people suffering, and it’s tough. Just as Digicel’s manager said, no video, no photo, can really show you the effect that this natural disaster has had on our island. But, on a positive side, it also reminds us of something powerful. Jamaicans don’t abandon each other; we rise together [and] this catastrophe has confirmed it in ways that I will never forget. Now, I’m asking every Jamaican, wherever you are in the world, to give what you can and spread the word. Hurricane Melissa took a lot from us, but it did not take our spirit,” Martin said, to applause.

Murad, who made Jamaica his home a decade ago, had just returned from Black River, which was hardest hit. He shared that being there was “probably the most humbling experience of [his] life”.

“The people are suffering. There is no video, there are no pictures that can do it justice ... it is brutal. How can you restart when you’re 60 years of age, 70 years of age, paid off your mortgage and all of a sudden, your house, your livelihood, the farm that you had, it’s gone? So [that’s] the reason we’re here today, and the reason we’re happy to support,” Murad said, even as he emphasised the need to reconnect Jamaica as quickly as possible.

He made a plea for the world to “stand up for Jamaica and hailed “the relentless spirit of Jamaicans [that] cannot be broken”.

“I am happy to call this my home and stand side by side with our fellow Jamaicans, but we need your help and support, and we need it now,” he said.

One of the high points of the evening was Lukie D and Christopher Martin doing a tear-jerking rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com