Kingston, Jamaica: Culture Minister, the Honourable Olivia “Babsy” Grange, was in her element on Independence Day as she soaked up the accolades from all quarters for the successful staging of the JA61 Emancipation/Independence celebrations, which culminated with the Independence Grand Gala at the National Stadium.
The 61-year-old stadium, officially opened by Princess Anne way back in 1962 was awash with the black, green and gold with thousands of patriotic Jamaicans converging on the facility in a display of national pride and unity.
They came from all over, near and far, country and town, yard and abroad, donned in Jamaican colours, converging to watch the Jamaica 61 Independence Grand Gala on Sunday, August 6, 2023. A similar scene existed a stone’s throw away, at the National Arena, which was dubbed the ‘Independence Village’, and which also served as the venue for the Grand Gala Viewing Party. When the performers took their final bows and the fireworks faded, the feeling of national pride and Caribbean unity lingered.
In response to a few persons who said their friends could not get tickets to see the Grand Gala, Minister Grange said that though she is extremely pleased with the staging of the event, she wished more Jamaicans were able to be a part of what was happening inside the stadium. “We turned back more than we could accommodate. And that is why we have to accelerate our Legacy Projects programme, which includes the redevelopment of the National Stadium”
The Minister went on to explain that “as the nation goes into its 61st year as an independent state, we are going to ensure that the legacy projects coming out of Jamaica 60 materialize. Some will come into fruition in Jamaica 61 while others will be completed within a five-year period… We have several monuments and statues that we have commissioned and plans are afoot to expand the National Stadium... We will break ground next year at the stadium, and we are aiming for the expansion to be completed in Five (5) years. This is because we have to do it in phases, as we cannot lock the stadium down. It’s the only one of its kind we have. So we all will have to take a pragmatic approach to how we see this project to fruition” said the Minister.
The plans to expand the stadium have been well received especially in light of the usual high demand for Grand Gala tickets.
Mr. Lenford Salmon, Executive Director at the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), noted that the tickets for this year’s event were gobbled up at a fast pace. As soon as they landed at the ticket outlets, they disappeared. “Gala is the largest event on the Festival Calendar and certainly one of the largest in not just Jamaica, but across the Caribbean. It is therefore understandable that the demand for tickets would outstrip demand for seats in the 30,000 capacity stadium. It is for this reason that the JCDC hosted a Gala Watch Party in the Jamaica Festival Village at the National Arena and also encouraged persons at home and abroad to watch the live stream and live posts on the social media pages of the JCDC, Honourable Minister Olivia Grange, and the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport…The feedback from spectators, both online and on the ground has been encouraging” opined the Executive Director.
This sentiment was echoed by Minister Grange who expressed satisfaction and heartfelt gratitude to everyone who played a part in making this year’s staging a massive success.
She said, “I am feeling very good. This was a celebration for everybody. The young, the old and the next generation. There was a moment for everyone… From Tessanne Chin’s moving rendition of the National Anthem, to the tribute to Harry Belafonte, and the tribute to women with patriotic songs, I was just in awe. There were several goose bump moments. When I looked at all those young people who are drawn from communities across the corporate area and the plains of St. Catherine; from communities that are normally polarized politically, yet there they were dancing and singing together and knowing how much it has benefited those communities- the dressmakers, the tailors, the hairdresser. It is heartwarming and just a feeling of satisfaction.”
She went further to note that the Gala signaled Jamaica’s unwavering commitment to enhancing Caribbean unity. “When Machel Montano was being given the key to the city and when he performed, I felt Caribbean unity. Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are both celebrating 61 years of independence this year and Machel’s appearance at our event was a signal of true Caribbean collaboration. It was a signal to the rest of our brothers and sisters in the region that Jamaica embraces is about Caribbean unity, Jamaica loves them and we will do what we can to build on this.”
Another highlight of the Jamaica 61 Grand Gala was the appearance of reggae group Morgan Heritage to accept the Jamaica Reggae Icon Award, and to thrill the audience with their reggae classics. Other entertainers appearing included Chronic Law, Ding Dong, Roze Don, and Valiant.
