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REGGAE UPDATES FROM JAMAICA: Red Stripe pulls sponsorship from dancehall and reggae stage shows
· Red Stripe pulls sponsorship from dancehall and reggae stage shows
*Diageo, the parent company for Red Stripe Beer has pulled its sponsorship from the staging of dancehall and reggae shows in Jamaica with immediate effect. Two of the more prominent stage shows held in Jamaica, Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest and Guinness Sting will be without the support of the Red Stripe and Guinness brands, when they are staged later this year.
In a carefully guided press release issued to the Jamaican media, Red Stripe said:
"Jamaica has a rich cultural and musical heritage that has earned the country much international acclaim through the years. Our Jamaican musicians are among the best and most talented in the world. The Jamaican music industry has contributed to building economic and social life in Jamaica, and for that we are very proud. It is for this very positive reason, that for decades Red Stripe has sought to associate its brands with Jamaican music. The Red Stripe Company has maintained a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the music industry and together we have worked very hard with promoters and artistes to uphold globally acceptable standards.
Over the years, however, a very negative trend of glorifying violence has crept into some of the music, causing much consternation among well thinking Jamaicans and others at home and abroad. This has far-reaching and damaging implications for the industry and for the country as a whole. While our most recent efforts through the Coalition of Corporate Sponsors have met with some measure of success, some performers continue to propagate, through their live performances, violent and anti-social lyrics. Red Stripe will not be party to this, and thus we have taken the very difficult decision of withdrawing sponsorship from live music events. Consequently, Red Stripe will not renew our contract for title sponsorship of Reggae Sumfest and Sting. We will, however, ensure that our brands are made available whenever and wherever our loyal consumers enjoy premium alcohol beverages.
It is our hope that our action will cause the proponents of this destructive trend in local music to stop and take stock of the negative impact of their actions on the society and seek to make a change. Red Stripe looks forward to the time when good sense will prevail and we can see a return to improved quality and standard of music that all Jamaica can be proud of. At that time we will review our position."
Reggae Sumfest which will be held from July 13 to 19 in Montego Bay this year, is reportedly eyeing top guns including Akon, Chris Brown, Ne Yo and Keyshia Cole to perform at this year's festival. In the past, names including LL Cool J, Mary J Blige, Jay Z, Ludacris, Beyonce, Destinys Child, Shaggy, Sean Paul, and Ciara, have performed on the Reggae Sumfest stage.
· Bob Marley's mother dies in Florida
Cedella Marley Booker , the mother of reggae icon Bob Marley died at the age of 82 on April 8 in Miami, Florida. Booker was born Cedella Malcolm in Rhoden Hall, St. Ann. Booker married Norval Sinclair Marley, a white Jamaican of English ancestry, when she was 18.
Norval Marley was a Marine officer and captain, as well as a plantation overseer. He provided financial support for his wife and child but seldom saw them, as he was often away on trips. Bob was ten years old when Norval died of a heart attack in 1955 at age 60. Booker later remarried an American man and moved to Delaware, USA. She has written two books about her son.
Digicel Rising Stars kicks off this month
The 5th season of Jamaica's premiere talent competition, the Caribbean version to the US American Idol, Digicel Rising Stars will kick off later this month. The first audition will take place in St. Thomas at Paul Bogle High on April 26. On May 3 the Mandeville auditions will take place at Manchester High.
Club Inferno is the venue for the Montego Bay auditions on May 10. On May 17, the Portmore auditions will take place at Portmore Heart Academy. The next audition will take place at the Hibiscus Lodge Hotel in Ocho Rios on May 24.
The final auditions will be held on May 31 at the YWCA in Kingston. The prizes this year include a million dollars cash for the first place winner, a music video, a production deal and a high end Sony Ericcson cellular phone among other prizes.
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