Tanya Batson, Staff Reporter
MANY actually believe that Jamaica has been attractive to visitors because of some intrinsic mystique. However, to be simply practical about it, Jamaica is evidently a beautiful country which has a lot to offer. According to lonelyplanet.com, this attraction to the island began in the mid 20th century:
'Ever since Errol Flynn cavorted here (Jamaica) with his Hollywood pals in the 1930s and '40s, travellers have regarded Jamaica as one of the most alluring of the Caribbean islands. Its beaches, mountains and carnal red sunsets regularly appear in the world's tourist brochures and, unlike other nearby islands, it democratically caters to all comers: you can choose a private villa with your own private beach; laugh your vacation away at a party-hearty resort; throw yourself into the thick of the island's life; or concentrate on experiencing the three Rs: reggae, reefers and rum!
Of course, the above quote ignores the fact that Jamaica had long been attractive to thieves, cut-throats and pirates. What it also indicates is that Jamaica has a lot more to offer than mere sea and sand. It has a culture that is worth seeing and experiencing. In its introduction to the history of Jamaica, the site also includes the following information:
Jamaica has a vivid and painful history, marred since European settlement by an undercurrent of violence and tyranny. Christopher Columbus first landed on the island in 1494, when there were perhaps 100,000 peaceful Arawak Amerindians who had settled in Jamaica around 700 AD. Spanish settlers arrived from 1510, raising cattle and pigs, and introducing two things that would profoundly shape the island's future: sugar and slaves!
These two elements 'sugar and slaves', wherein the sugar industry embodies all the hardships and violence that impacted upon the altered natives of this isle, combined to produce Jamaican culture, which is sweet yet hinged on violence, hardship and rebellion. Despite its size, Jamaica's culture has proven to be a force with which to reckon. This tiny isle has given the world reggae and Rastafari, both of which have had tremendous impact.
Despite this, indigenous Jamaican culture, which may be seen as a 'barefoot culture' due to the poverty of its creators, is only slowly being recognised for its value, especially in economic terms. Acceptance of the value of Jamaican culture to the country's development means the slave will finally be recognised for more than her ability to cut sugar cane. She will be recognised for the self that was rebuilt after dispossession and the attempts to remove all sense of cultural heritage.
Having been dispossessed by history, Jamaica has used her culture to carve her story into the memory of the world.
As a part of the campaign to market the Jamaican brand, there seems to be a trend towards event marketing. After years of hot-air utterances about the power of reggae, it appears that there is now a distinct thrust toward making Jamaica a mecca of culture.
This idea reflects the sentiments expressed by Dr. Wykeham McNeill, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, at the launch of the recent first annual Redbones Blues Festival. He stated: "We have the potential to make - and not really make, but keep - Kingston the entertainment capital of the Caribbean."
Andrea Davis of Jamaica Arts Holdings, which organises International Reggae Day, echoes this sentiment, though she takes the idea of Jamaica's cultural significance even further. She states: "Jamaica is one of the three cultural powerhouses of the world. We do it without support and co-ordination and we're the only dark one on the block." The other two cultural power houses to which she refers are Britain and the United States. Both countries have gone to tremendous efforts to export their own culture and impose it on the world.
On the other hand, Jamaican culture seems to have made its impact despite our best - or worst - efforts. Michael McMorris, executive director of marketing at Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), states that the ability of the Jamaican brand to remain attractive despite the havoc that violence has wreaked on it is a testament to its strength.
The thrust toward marketing Jamaica as a Mecca of entertainment would mean a repackaging of that brand. Interestingly, although in past years Jamaican culture was used to sell the idea of coming to Jamaica, what was being pushed was not the culture in itself, but the 'sun, sea and sand'. For example, although for quite some time the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) used 'One Love' to advertise Jamaica, they did not reckon that tourists come for reggae.
In fact, on the JTB website, the page which speaks about ways to enjoy Jamaica makes no immediate reference to Jamaica's culture. Nonetheless, the presence of a calendar of events indicates that the board is aware of the value of entertainment in influencing tourists' decision to come to Jamaica. The director of Entertainment in the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, Jennifer Grant, pointed out that were Jamaica's entertainment product to be developed to its full potential, it would become a major pull for visitors, in the same way that entertainment takes many persons to Las Vegas. "We have so many things that are going for us that can impact on the tourists' decision to come here," she stated. Ms. Grant pointed out that it is therefore beneficial to broaden the image of the Jamaican product as only 'sun sea and sand'.
As such, further development of the music, film and other entertainment industries are key. Even so, the torch must be passed from the government if true development is to take place. "The next step is to get things together. The players in the industry must also play their part," she stated.
Along much the same trend, Ms. Davis states that event marketing is "defining the future". She sees International Reggae Day as becoming a street festival equivalent to Notting Hill, in a celebration of food, fashion and music. She stated: "What makes our sea and sand different is the rhythm to which we walk on it." She continued: "If we work on it harder, we can see more realistic returns," she argued. "The whole world is moving to cultural industries. It can do nothing but positives in terms of boosting the Jamaican economy."
JAMPRO has also noted the value of Jamaican culture to do more than fill hotel rooms. Mr. McMorris notes that the corporation is interested in attracting investment and helping local investors to develop their products. As such, JAMPRO is affiliated with projects which aid development. They are currently involved in the Women in Film Summit, Jamaica Exporters Week, Caribbean Fashion Week, the Jamerican Film Festival, International Reggae Day and the Euromoney Investment Forum. All these events have one thing in common - their success should have a very positive impact on the further development of Jamaica.
If one should check the JTB's calendar of events for Jamaica, it will be noticed that it is now filled with festivals, all of which celebrate different aspects of Jamaican culture. There is a jerk festival, a yam festival, music festivals, a literary festival - everything but an art festival. (This deficiency is significant in light of the fact that Jamaica is also touted as the centre of art for the Caribbean - that is, at least according to lonelyplanet.com.)
The music festivals seem to be the most prolific. The newest on the block is the Redbones Blues festival. Mr. Evan Williams, proprietor of Redbones Blues Café and the major organiser of the Redbones Blues Festival, pointed out that the largest markets for the blues are in Europe and Asia. He also noted that the market is usually Caucasian and well off.
These will be the eventual markets that the Blues festival targets. For its first year, the festival targeted persons from the home of the blues, along the Mississippi Delta. Mr. Williams stated that next they would target the blues migration cities such as Chicago and Philadelphia, finally moving toward the European and Asian markets.
Of course, the festival was also aimed at Jamaicans. Therefore, to ensure that the Jamaican audience would have a greater appreciation of the blues, they engaged in strategies like the 'Blues Minutes' to educate the Jamaican masses about the genre's origins.
Jamaica's 'barefoot culture' is finally being allowed to wear shoes. Even the most obscure deejay is quick to tout 'a reggae put Jamaica pon di map'. However, Ms. Davis raises another important issue. "We talk well and we sample well, but can we deliver over time?" Ms. Davis queried.
"And it can't be just one person and it can't be just one company. It has to be everybody," she stated.
As the rhythm of the cutters replaces the sugar of the plantation, the revolution may become, as the poet warned, truly a "touris' attraction".
