Reviving Kingston's culture - Karen Hutchinson begins city tours this month

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

A concert remembered mostly for two deejays coming to blows on stage was memorable for Karen Hutchinson in another way. For while deejays Vybz Kartel and Ninja Man were going at it, the response of a visitor who had included Sting 2003 on his holiday schedule struck her.

The long-accustomed 'sun, sand, sea' did not take prime billing on his 'things to do in Jamaica' list, but experiencing Jamaican culture did.

"It was the idea that someone could come to Jamaica and not be satisfied by going to the beach. For him, it was music. For someone else it might be art," Hutchinson said.

It did not hurt that "I am not a great beach person. I couldn't spend an entire holiday at the beach. I would want to mix it up".

The idea has grown into Jamaica Cultural Enterprises, which will be formally launched at the end of the month. Hutchinson will run two tours through the company, Kingston Art Trek and Kingston City Explorer. She has already tested the waters with 'dry runs' and is pleased with the outcome.

Several interesting spots

Hutchinson points out that there are many "places you pass every day and you don't necessarily know about them". In addition, "there is the opportunity to buy art and talk to the artists and gallery owners. A big part of the tour is Alexander Cooper's gallery and mini-museum in Cooper's Hill". Artist Audrey Lynch was included in the exploratory tour.

While the Art Trek is specific to artists and galleries, Hutchinson says the City Explorer is "more broad-based". It includes park visits and she says that, for example, "National Heroes Park is underutilised. There is a changing of the guard which a lot of people do not know about. There is art, there is history (with the grave for the Eventide fire victims), there are the heroes".

Plus, there are the graves of Dennis Brown and 'Kapo'.

A stop at Grafton Studios in Vineyard Town is a major part of the tour and Hutchinson points out the multiple angles.

"Artistes are there, as it is a working studio. If people are rehearsing you can see them. There may be an opportunity to 'cut a tune'. Plus there is also talking to Mikey Bennett himself. He has the long view - what has happened, what is happening now and what will happen in the future".

In the mix are also places like Liberty Hall on King Street, and there are also places where noted Jamaicans once lived. And there is a large measure of flexibility, as Hutchinson says the tours can be customised.

The tours are for people who live in Jamaica, as well as foreigners. For the Jamaicans in Jamaica, Hutchinson says "When you live somewhere, in general a lot of things become background unless someone sits you down in a class. It is not something that only Jamaicans suffer from. There is the joke about the New Yorker who has never seen the Statue of Liberty ... . It is a great opportunity to learn your history, feel some pride and have some sense of where we are now".

Worldwide appeal

She is also targeting Jamaicans who live abroad, who "have an appreciation for and love of Jamaica, but they may not know a lot of the details". Hutchinson is hoping to not only pull in visitors who are already in Jamaica, but also have persons come specifically for the tours.

Although she has no prior experience in the hospitality industry, Hutchinson relies on good advice and has also had the requisite training from the Tourism Product Development Company. The website, www.jaculture.com, as well as social networking sites Facebook and Twitter (among others) are part of the Jamaica Cultural Enterprises marketing.

There are elements that Hutchinson wishes to add to the tour. "I want to incorporate revivalism into the tour," Hutchinson said. "I really want to incorporate Rastafari, Kumina as well. I want religion to be a big part of it, African-Jamaican traditions and customs," she said.

"But right now, I am going to start with revival. There is so much fear and mysticism and denigration. And there is so much to be appreciated," she said.