Grange wants greater support for music

Culture and Entertainment Minister Olivia Grange says Jamaicans, particularly members of the entertainment fraternity, "must each play our part" in advancing the growth of the reggae industry.

Grange, speaking at a Reggae Month church service, held on Sunday at the Fellowship Tabernacle in Kingston, said that if more attention is paid to the music, it would "generate greater income to practitioners and increase revenue to the country".

Carolyn McDonald Riley, director of the Tourism Linkages Network, said that Jamaica welcomed a record of 4.3 million visitors and earned $3.7 billion in 2019, adding that these goals were achieved mainly because of Jamaica's "good food, our rich culture and infectious music".

"We recognise that our reggae music unequivocally puts Jamaica on the map globally. We have produced iconic figures such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, just to name a few, and we continue to intrigue visitors to our shores," she said.