After a years-long pandemic pause, one of Jamaica’s most anticipated charity entertainment events is set to return to the stage on June 21, blending surprise performances from top public and private sector leaders with a mission to lift up vulnerable children across the island.
The Powerful Women and Men Perform for Charity show, which has raised more than JMD $80 million for local nonprofit Mustard Seed Communities (MSC) over its history, will welcome a mix of veteran performer-participants and exciting first-timers when it kicks off at 7:00 pm at the Jamaica College Auditorium.
Headlining the roster of debut performers are two of the country’s top political figures: Opposition Leader Mark Golding and Minister of Tourism Ed Bartlett, who will take the stage for the first time. They will be joined by another new talent, Dr. Maria Myers-Hamilton, Managing Director of Jamaica’s Spectrum Management Authority. Leading the returning cast is House Speaker Juliet Holness, who is making her triumphant comeback to the event’s stage after previous appearances. Other returning fan favorites include Cordel Green, Executive Director of the Broadcasting Commission, who will reprise his beloved comedic role as the outrageous “Bling Church pastor”, and Hugh Falconer, Commissioner of the Independent Commission of Investigations, who has built a loyal audience following for his vocal performances in past shows.
All told, dozens of high-profile leaders from across Jamaica’s public and private spheres have signed up to showcase their hidden entertainment skills for the night, all to generate critical funding for MSC. The organization currently provides full-time care and support to nearly 500 children across 12 residential facilities spread across the island.
Behind the scenes, the 2024 event draws on top local creative talent: award-winning designers Kevin Rettie and Delano McFarlane are handling the stage’s custom set design, while local production firms Viva Events and Kinematix/Bloozick will manage all audiovisual production. Ewan Simpson, Chairman of the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association, will serve as the show’s official Musical Director.
Founded by Thyra Heaven, a former MSC fundraising director, the charity gala has long occupied a special spot on Jamaica’s events calendar. For thousands of regular attendees, it has remained a must-attend engagement, drawing crowds eager to see the unexpected sides of the country’s most prominent business, political and civic leaders. After going on hiatus when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down large public gatherings, organizers have revamped the program and recruited a slate of fresh talent to deliver an even more engaging experience for this year’s comeback.
For Father Garvin Augustine, Executive Director of MSC International, the return of the event is a momentous occasion for the organization. Beyond the critical operating funds the show generates, Augustine noted that the event’s strong brand has played a key role in raising public awareness of MSC’s work, motivating individual donors from Jamaica and abroad, as well as major Jamaican corporate entities, to contribute to the nonprofit’s mission.
“We are excited and grateful for the return of the show, and we look forward with renewed interest to the support we will get to care for the nation’s vulnerable,” Augustine shared in the lead-up to the performance.