JTB Endorses Kingston Pon Di River
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has endorsed the Kingston Pon Di River literature, music and art festival as a key means of diversifying the island's tourism product.
Chairman of the JTB, Dennis Morrison, said events such as Kingston Pon Di River, scheduled for April 28-29, cater to a mix of local and foreign interests that go beyond the sea, sand and sun model which has defined the island's north coast.
"The Jamaica Tourist Board is supportive of Kingston Pon Di River. We want to defy Jamaica's habit of standardizing things that help to attract tourists, and as such, an event like this will have our full support because we are pushing to have more diversity," he said.
Morrison said literature and music festivals like Kingston Pon Di River could ignite interest among urban-oriented tourists, as well as offer a taste of culture to lovers of heritage and the arts.
This year's event will be the second staging of the two-day festival, which will be held at Boone Hall Oasis in Stony Hill.
Morrison said that visitors and Jamaicans alike should realize that Kingston is a treasure trove of history, a unique city which has seen dramatic changes unfold over more than three centuries.
“Heritage tourism is a multibillion-dollar subsector of the broader global tourism industry. Kingston has got the raw materials of history and talent on our side. Now we’ve got to tap into that big time, as the spin-off benefits and industries could help to grow our economy,” said Morrison.
Janet Silvera, managing partner of the organizers, Dynamic Events Services, said Kingston Pon Di River is a one-of-a-kind experience.
"Kingston Pon Di River recognizes its great potential and is seeking to position this wonderful city as the cultural hub of the Caribbean," Silvera noted. "Our literature, music and art have a unique texture and charm that no one else can genuinely lay claim to.
"The event aims to be a collage of all things Kingston and all things Jamaican - a crossroads of sorts where uptown and downtown, and all facets of Jamaican culture, can intersect."
Silvera said the organizers were also looking at the bigger picture: stimulating interest in the arts, especially among the youth, as a viable avenue for self-expression and careers.
On Friday, April 27, the eve of the festival, there will be a delightful teaser at New Kingston entertainment hot spot, Studio 38. The laid-back affair will feature poet Tomlin Ellis; 'Sextacy' radio host Shelly-Ann Weeks; empress of steamy poetry, Tanya Shirley; and actress Rosie Murray. There will also be an open mica session, climaxing with a dance party.
The real action starts on the evening of Saturday, April 28 with various drumming ensembles electrifying the atmosphere with the sounds of Africa and the Caribbean.
On Sunday, April 29, the audience will be treated to a fabulous mix of local and overseas talent. Headliners include singer Karen Gibson Roc; Alvin Day, publisher and author; Oku Onoura, dub poet; Diana King, singer and songwriter; Jonathan Eig, New York Times best-selling author; photographer Baron Wolman, of Rolling Stone magazine fame; Charlie Newton, US award-winning novelist, and Professor Carolyn Cooper, author and literary scholar; among others. The day climaxes with music by Bare Essentials and a big bonfire to light up the night sky.
