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  • Scallion burden eased

    Scallion burden eased

    In New Forest, Manchester, Jamaica, Agriculture Minister Floyd Green has confirmed that targeted support will continue reaching local scallion producers grappling with a major supply glut, delivered through a coordinated public-private partnership designed to absorb the region’s unexpectedly large harvest.

    Speaking to reporters during an on-site visit Sunday, Green outlined that the relief effort is already underway, with produce moving out of the New Forest agro-park steadily. Just one week prior, private sector partner GraceKennedy Group moved roughly 50,000 pounds of excess scallion out of the area. On the same day of Green’s announcement, the ministry launched its next phase of intervention, covering transportation costs for the produce in a new collaboration with food processor Walkerswood.

    Over the course of this week alone, the partnership will purchase 125,000 pounds of scallion from local growers to take excess supply off the market. Beyond Walkerswood’s commitment, Green confirmed that additional private firms have stepped in to buy a further 200,000 pounds of the crop. Altogether, the two-week relief intervention will move approximately 600,000 pounds of scallion, a volume that Green says will substantially ease the financial pressure on farmers who have been stuck with unsellable product.

    The crisis first drew public attention just over a week earlier, when Opposition Member of Parliament Peter Bunting, who represents Manchester Southern, raised alarms about plummeting demand and widespread spoilage impacting dozens of farmers in New Forest’s key agricultural belt during a community tour.

    Green pushed back against any suggestion that the ministry was slow to act, noting that officials began coordinating a response weeks before the issue gained public attention. After recognizing that strong growing conditions had led to a bumper harvest that outstripped existing demand, the ministry called together major Jamaican agro-processors to map out a solution.

    Officials learned that GraceKennedy had already stockpiled nearly three years of scallion inventory due to a recent industry-wide drop in demand, leading the firm to cut back on new purchases. With that context, the ministry partnered with Walkerswood to design the targeted buy-in initiative that is now being rolled out.

    Green also highlighted that the current overproduction is actually a sign of a remarkable recovery for the region’s agricultural sector. Just six months prior, New Forest’s farmlands were entirely flooded and severely damaged by Category 5 Hurricane Melissa. In the wake of the storm, the ministry implemented aggressive support measures to help growers restart production, including providing free irrigation water to all farmers in the New Forest agro-park through the end of February.

    That support paid off with a far larger harvest than initially projected, creating the current supply-demand imbalance. “One of the good things we have seen since Hurricane Melissa is a tremendous recovery, especially in our agro-parks,” Green said. “The reason we are seeing that recovery is because we have taken definitive steps to help the farmers get back on their feet.” He credited local growers for their extraordinary resilience in rebuilding their operations after the devastating storm, adding that the current intervention will help them stabilize their incomes and continue investing in future production.

  • Accused media gala shooter charged with attempted Trump assassination

    Accused media gala shooter charged with attempted Trump assassination

    WASHINGTON — A 31-year-old California man accused of opening fire near a high-profile media gala attended by sitting U.S. President Donald Trump appeared in federal court Monday to face charges of attempted presidential assassination and two related firearms offenses, marking the third alleged plot on Trump’s life in just two years.

    Cole Allen, the suspect in Saturday’s attack at the annual White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) dinner held at Washington’s Hilton Hotel, entered no plea during his initial arraignment. Dressed in a blue correctional jumpsuit, Allen was ordered to remain in federal custody ahead of his next scheduled court hearing. If convicted on the assassination attempt charge, he faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars.

    Prosecutors detailed the scope of Allen’s alleged preparations for the attack in court documents and statements: he was armed with a pump-action shotgun, a semi-automatic pistol, and three bladed weapons when he attempted to breach security perimeters surrounding the venue, the site of the WHCA’s flagship annual gala for more than 70 years. Multiple shots were exchanged during a chaotic confrontation at a security checkpoint before law enforcement officers managed to subdue Allen. Critically, officials confirmed Allen never advanced close enough to reach Trump or the hundreds of dinner guests gathered on the hotel’s lower level.

    The incident unfolded rapidly Saturday evening: moments after gunshots rang out, Secret Service agents rushed Trump out of the venue to safety. One law enforcement officer suffered a non-fatal injury when a bullet struck their bulletproof vest, and no other fatalities or serious casualties were reported, a outcome that law enforcement have described as a stroke of luck.

    In an interview with CBS Sunday, the 79-year-old president downplayed any sense of fear as guests scrambled for cover. “I wasn’t worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world,” Trump told reporters. He added that he initially mistook the sound of gunfire for a dropped serving tray before recognizing the danger, and has called for the WHCA dinner to be rescheduled within 30 days. The incident has sparked renewed scrutiny of presidential safety protocols, with Trump himself noting the Hilton venue was “not a particularly secure” facility — a point that carries extra weight given this was the first time Trump had accepted the WHCA’s standing invitation to attend the gala during his presidency.

    According to reporting from the New York Post, Allen sent a message to his family shortly before launching his attack indicating he planned to target attendees “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.” In addition to Trump, Saturday’s event was attended by First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, multiple cabinet secretaries, senior congressional leaders, and hundreds of journalists and media figures.

    This latest alleged plot marks the third time Trump has been targeted for assassination since 2023. The first came during a 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman’s volley killed one audience member and left a minor wound to Trump’s ear. Just months later, a second suspect was arrested after a Secret Service officer spotted a rifle barrel protruding from bushes along the perimeter of a West Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing.

    In the wake of Saturday’s incident, the White House has pinned blame for the violence on what it calls a “left-wing cult of hatred,” specifically calling out Democratic lawmakers who have repeatedly argued Trump is seeking to consolidate authoritarian power. Critics have countered that Trump himself has broken decades of political precedent with routine, aggressive insults directed at political opponents, the national media, federal judges, foreign heads of state, and the Federal Reserve chair, creating a poisoned political climate.

  • Teachers to wear black in protest as JTA puts members on alert

    Teachers to wear black in protest as JTA puts members on alert

    Thousands of educators across Jamaica are set to wear black clothing today and Tuesday as a visible act of protest against what the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) describes as systemic disregard for the teaching profession. The mass demonstration was announced by the JTA in an official press statement released over the weekend, at a time when months of drawn-out contract negotiations have left teachers increasingly disillusioned with the government’s lack of progress on core demands.

    In its statement, the JTA acknowledged that the extended negotiation process has placed an unmanageable burden on its rank-and-file members. Many teachers have reported deep-seated frustration, chronic professional exhaustion, and rapidly dwindling patience after months of unfulfilled promises and stalled talks. The association noted that the ongoing delay has not only tested educators’ willingness to compromise, but also eroded their sense of professional worth and dignity as public servants.

    JTA President Mark Malabver reaffirmed the organization’s unwavering solidarity with teachers across the island, emphasizing that the body understands the daily sacrifices educators make even amid ongoing uncertainty about their compensation and working conditions. Malabver stressed that the dispute extends far beyond base pay: the fight, he said, is fundamentally a battle for social justice, aimed at correcting long-standing inequities and ensuring that teachers receive the respect and compensation that matches their irreplaceable role in driving Jamaica’s national development.

    According to the JTA, Jamaica’s Ministry of Finance has recently extended a formal invitation for a new round of negotiation talks scheduled for Tuesday. The upcoming meeting is framed as a critical make-or-break opportunity to make tangible progress on the JTA’s outstanding list of claims. Two central issues top the association’s agenda: the long-unresolved graduate allowance dispute, and a suite of other outstanding matters related to members’ overall compensation and workplace welfare.

    Even with the new meeting scheduled, the JTA was candid about the lack of movement on these priorities to date. Despite the association’s repeated good-faith efforts to move the negotiation process forward over recent months, no significant breakthrough has been achieved on any of the core demands.

    Against this backdrop, the JTA has appealed to its members to extend a short window of patience to allow Tuesday’s talks to proceed without premature escalation. The association made clear that this appeal comes with a full understanding of the widespread anger and frustration that permeates the teaching profession right now. At the same time, members have been urged to remain vigilant and on high alert for further updates coming out of the negotiations.

    The JTA issued a clear ultimatum to the government: if no meaningful progress is made during Tuesday’s meeting, particularly on the graduate allowance issue and other core demands, the association will put the question of next steps directly to the full membership to decide what action to take. Teachers have been instructed to stand by for official updates immediately following the conclusion of the negotiation session.

  • Allyson Felix announces plans to compete in 2028 Summer Olympics

    Allyson Felix announces plans to compete in 2028 Summer Olympics

    Legendary American track and field sprinter Allyson Felix, the most decorated Olympic athlete in U.S. track and field history, has sent shockwaves through the global athletics community with a bombshell announcement: she is ending her two-and-a-half-year retirement to chase a spot at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in her hometown of Los Angeles, multiple American media outlets have confirmed. In an exclusive interview with TIME magazine, Felix opened up about her unexpected comeback plans, revealing that she is gearing up to resume structured training next month alongside her long-time coach Bobby Kersee, with a detailed training roadmap already finalized. At 40 years old, Felix first hung up her spikes and retired from elite competitive sprinting back in April 2022, capping a historic career that included 11 Olympic medals — seven of them gold. In a break from the relentless schedule that defined her peak competitive years, Felix says she has no intention of competing full-time on the global Diamond League circuit. This adjusted approach is intentional, allowing her to prioritize time with her two young children while still pursuing her athletic goal. For Felix, the comeback is about far more than adding another medal to her collection; it is a deliberate challenge to outdated social expectations around age, motherhood, and women’s ambition. “So many of us have been told not to do the big, bold thing,” Felix explained in the interview. “You know, at this age, I should probably be staying home and taking care of my kids, doing all that. And just, why not? Let’s flip it on its head. Let’s go after the thing. Let’s be vulnerable.” If Felix qualifies for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, she will make history as one of the oldest American track and field athletes to ever compete at an Olympic Games, while breaking long-standing stereotypes about what mothers and athletes over 40 can achieve. The comeback bid has already drawn widespread praise from across the athletics community, with fans and fellow athletes alike celebrating Felix’s bold choice to redefine limits on her own terms.

  • From TV scripts to supply chains

    From TV scripts to supply chains

    Shanan Smart’s journey to becoming a leading Jamaican entrepreneur defies conventional career paths, blending a lifelong passion for science, years of groundbreaking work in media production, and a commitment to solving pressing local business challenges. Long before she navigated corporate boardrooms and coordinated complex logistics for her distribution company, Smart honed her creative instincts as a core team member behind one of Jamaica’s most beloved television institutions: *The Ity and Fancy Cat Show*. As a key creative force for the iconic program, she helped craft its signature humor, cultural resonance, and narrative rhythm that captivated audiences across the island and the Jamaican diaspora worldwide. Following the show’s widespread success, the creative duo behind it returned to television in 2019 with a new sitcom titled *Bigger Boss*, and brought Smart onto their growing team.

    The fast-paced, often unpredictable environment of television production taught Smart a foundational skill: how to build something impactful from limited resources. That experience refined her storytelling discipline and showed her how creative thinking can turn a simple concept into a powerful connection between diverse groups of people. Today, that same innovative spirit is directed toward solving a critical gap in Jamaica’s business ecosystem: after years of writing television scripts, Smart is now writing a new story for Jamaican enterprise through targeted supply chain solutions.

    As Chief Operating Officer of Smart Haves Distributors, Smart leads the company alongside her husband George, who serves as Chief Executive Officer. The couple founded the firm together in 2020, anchored by a clear mission: to improve lives across Jamaica by delivering high-quality essential goods and unmatched customer service. This mission has positioned the company to support local manufacturers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as they navigate skyrocketing operational costs and persistent supply chain disruptions that threaten long-term business stability.

    Smart Haves fills a long-unaddressed need in Jamaica’s industrial market by connecting local businesses with consistent access to essential supplies, cutting indirect procurement costs by as much as 20 percent, and delivering the operational stability that local firms have long lacked. The company’s core client base is Jamaica’s manufacturing sector, the largest contributor to the country’s goods-producing industries, accounting for 8.9 percent of Jamaica’s total gross domestic product. Between 2020 and 2024, the sector expanded by more than J$6.7 billion, creating growing demand for reliable supply chain support.

    “Many managers and business owners do not realise how critical operational supplies are until they can’t get them,” Smart noted. “Local tax increases, international tariffs, and broader economic volatility make it extremely difficult for businesses to plan and budget accurately, since prices are constantly fluctuating. What we offer to businesses across the country is stability: reliability in pricing, on-time delivery, and customer service you can count on.”

    Smart’s winding career path before entrepreneurship included stints across seemingly disconnected sectors, each of which prepared her for her current role. She studied environmental biology, drawn to science from a young age by a deep curiosity about how natural and man-made systems work. She later transitioned into media production, where she wrote and produced content for television, before moving into a role in sales, operations, and training at iCreate.

    Looking back on her career, Smart now recognizes how every step built the skill set she needed to launch and run Smart Haves. “Science teaches you to ask questions and understand how systems function,” she explained. “Television production teaches you how to create something meaningful with limited resources. When you run a business, you need both of those skill sets.”

    George Smart credits much of the company’s rapid growth to his wife’s leadership and disciplined approach to operations. “Shanan has an incredible ability to see both the big picture and the small daily details that make a business run,” he said. “She’s an amazing mother, a trusted partner, and a business leader who approaches every challenge with patience and focus. Building both our family and our company together has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Seeing the level of commitment and discipline it took for her to do both has been truly inspiring.”

    The couple’s professional partnership is built on a foundation of balanced trust and shared responsibility. While George leads business development and logistics strategy, Shanan oversees client relationships, inventory monitoring, and the operational systems that keep orders moving smoothly to clients across the country.

    Their business model prioritizes building long-term collaborative relationships with clients over one-off transactional sales. “We see our clients as partners,” Smart explained. “When their operations run efficiently, it means their employees keep working, their customers receive products on time, Jamaicans get better prices when they shop, and the entire country benefits.”

    While Smart Haves has already established a strong foothold in Jamaica’s distribution sector, Smart is already planning the company’s next phase of growth. Her long-term vision is to expand into a broader Smart Haves Group of Companies, with a new line of sustainable products that aligns with growing consumer and business demand for naturally derived ingredients.

    “We’re watching the market change in real time,” she said. “People are paying closer attention to what they use every day, and businesses have to keep up with that shift. For us, it aligns perfectly with one of our core values: sustainability. We pride ourselves on thinking ahead and being innovative. So we are excited to provide products that support healthier choices while still delivering the reliability our clients depend on.”

    When asked about navigating the overwhelmingly male-dominated business landscape, Smart gives an unfiltered, straightforward answer. She has had countless experiences where she has had to assert her expertise, prove her capabilities, and refuse to be dismissed or talked over by male colleagues. What makes her approach unique is that she never tried to conform to masculine norms to fit in.

    “My approach has always been to show up as myself. I am confident, capable, and clear. And I don’t take anything personally,” she said.

    Where many other women in male-led industries have altered their approach or tried to fit in as “one of the boys”, Smart has built her career on her own terms. Her advice to young women entering the workforce is clear: “Be yourself. If you think about it, most industries are male-dominated. You don’t need to be like the men. Learn your role, know your industry, and be disciplined. The road rises to meet the woman who walks it as herself.”

  • New national survey reveals cash remains critical in Jamaica’s payment trends despite digital growth

    New national survey reveals cash remains critical in Jamaica’s payment trends despite digital growth

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — A landmark new study has painted a nuanced picture of Jamaica’s evolving payment ecosystem, finding that while digital financial tools are growing in popularity across the island nation, cash has retained its central role in everyday financial life, functioning both as a go-to transaction method and a trusted financial safety net for most Jamaicans.

    The comprehensive analysis, dubbed the Payment Preferences in Jamaica Report, was commissioned by BRANCCH Consulting and Outsourcing Limited, marking one of the first large-scale, nationally representative examinations of how Jamaicans engage with cash and digital payment options amid ongoing global shifts toward cashless finance. To build a robust, accurate dataset, researchers drew responses from more than 600 participants spread across both urban population centers and rural communities, capturing diverse perspectives on payment habits, preferences, unmet needs, and emerging trends reshaping the sector.

    Core findings from the report confirm that cash still leads for day-to-day spending, making up more than 50% of all transactions and retaining the top spot as the most preferred payment method for regular purchases. Even as digital adoption grows, Jamaicans consistently turn to cash for small, everyday buys due to its unmatched accessibility and reliability.

    That said, digital payment options — especially debit cards and online bank transfers — have seen steady growth in usage, particularly for transactions ranging from mid-value to high-value purchases. Despite this upward trajectory, widespread adoption has been held back by a series of persistent barriers: low public trust in digital systems, spotty digital infrastructure across many regions, consumer concerns over hidden transaction fees, and inconsistent service reliability have all slowed the transition to a fully cashless financial ecosystem.

    The report also uncovered a notable disconnect between access to digital financial tools and actual usage. While more than 80% of Jamaicans have access to basic traditional banking services and 72% connect to the internet regularly, only 56% have access to mobile banking or payment apps. This gap makes clear that the challenge facing Jamaica’s digital transition is one of digital readiness and usability, not just basic availability of services.

    “Jamaica isn’t just undergoing a simple shift from cash to digital — we’re operating in a hybrid payment environment where both systems need to work efficiently for all users,” explained Marcus Brodber, chief executive officer of BRANCCH. “What the data shows very clearly is that cash remains essential for most Jamaicans. This isn’t just a matter of old habit: cash continues to deliver reliability, full control over personal spending, and universal accessibility in ways that digital systems have not yet been able to match.”

    The study also highlights the powerful cultural and social factors that shape payment behavior in Jamaica. The nation has a long tradition of strong reliance on peer-to-peer transactions and informal financial support networks, a pattern reflected in the survey data: 80% of respondents reported sending or receiving money from family members in the 30 days prior to taking the survey, reinforcing how trust and interpersonal relationships remain core drivers of financial decision-making.

    Importantly, the report also identifies clear opportunities for expansion and innovation in Jamaica’s payment sector. While digital tools are already broadly available to much of the population, adoption remains held back by inconsistent point-of-sale connectivity, low public awareness of the benefits of digital payments, and lingering gaps in user confidence — especially among older age groups and residents of rural communities.

    “Reliable, locally sourced data is absolutely critical to shaping the future of payments in Jamaica,” Brodber added. “If we are serious about driving greater efficiency, expanding financial inclusion, and fostering innovation across the sector, then policy and business decisions have to be rooted in how Jamaicans actually behave, not how we assume they behave. This report is just the starting point for more informed public dialogue, better targeted solutions, and meaningful progress across Jamaica’s entire payments landscape.”

  • Dowdie tops Miss Bikini Jamaica International

    Dowdie tops Miss Bikini Jamaica International

    After a four-month postponement triggered by Hurricane Melissa, the 11th edition of the Miss Bikini Jamaica International competition finally kicked off to a warm reception at Neil’s Auditorium in Mandeville, Manchester. When the final scores were tallied, Suzan Dowdie walked away with the coveted top crown, adding an extra Best Figure accolade to her haul to cap off a remarkable night of competition.

    Rounding out the top four placements, Gabrielle Whyte secured the runner-up position, while Moya-Maye Nanan claimed third place and Olivia Harley finished in fourth. What makes Dowdie’s victory even more compelling is the extraordinary adversity she overcame to reach the stage: a devastating Hurricane Melissa destroyed her family home in Giddy Hall, St Elizabeth, leaving her facing profound personal loss and disruption even as she stepped into the competition.

    Rather than letting the storm derail her dreams, Dowdie turned her hardship into purpose. As both a construction forewoman and the executive director of the Lil Suz Foundation, a community nonprofit she launched in the wake of the disaster, she has dedicated her post-hurricane energy to lifting up her neighbors. “Melissa knocked me down,” Dowdie shared in an interview after her win. “I am currently helping a lot of people in Giddy Hall… that is where Lil Suz Foundation came in. Currently we are building houses in Giddy Hall for persons whose homes were damaged and destroyed during the hurricane. I sheltered a lot of people in my home during and after the storm.”

    The road to the 11th staging was anything but smooth for event organizers. The competition was originally scheduled for December 2024, but event founder Dwight Dunn made the call to shift the date from peak hurricane season to April 2025, a direct response to the widespread damage caused by Melissa. Even after the date change, the storm left lasting impacts on the contestant pool: originally slated to feature 12 competitors, multiple contestants were displaced by the hurricane and forced to drop out due to catastrophic financial strain. A handful of remaining contestants also withdrew later in the process, as they could no longer cover the costs of required training, leaving 10 participants to compete on the opening night.

    Founded 12 years ago, the Miss Bikini Jamaica International competition has built a steady following through years of adaptive evolution. It launched its first edition at Oracabessa, St Mary’s iconic James Bond Beach, before relocating to Kingston for eight consecutive stagings. When the COVID-19 pandemic upended live events in 2020, organizers pivoted once again, moving the competition to Mandeville and hosting it as a virtual production. The contest returned to its traditional in-person format in 2022, and has remained in Mandeville ever since.

    Despite all the setbacks that marked this year’s staging, Dunn is already looking ahead to expanding the competition beyond Jamaica’s borders, with plans to host a staging in Florida in 2026. For the newly crowned champion, however, the focus remains on the ongoing recovery work in her community, proving that beauty pageantry can extend far beyond the stage to drive tangible, positive change for those in need.

  • Regulators ramp up training as Jamaica prepares for casino gaming

    Regulators ramp up training as Jamaica prepares for casino gaming

    Sixteen years after Jamaica’s landmark Casino Gaming Act first legalized casino operations limited to approved integrated resort developments, national casino gaming regulators are ramping up capacity building and inter-agency coordination to prepare for the eventual launch of the nascent industry.

    Last week, the Casino Gaming Commission partnered with global gaming industry authority Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) to host a three-day specialized training workshop in Kingston. The event brought together regulators and law enforcement partners from across multiple agencies, including the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission, the Major Organised Crime & Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), the Financial Investigations Division, and the Jamaica Customs Agency.

    Branded GLI University, the immersive training program covered core topics critical to effective industry oversight: from casino licensing protocols and slot machine technical engineering to forensic financial investigation and the mathematical modeling that underpins game odds, payout structures and operator profitability.

    Casino Gaming Commission Chief Executive Officer Cleveland Allen framed the training as a critical step toward Jamaica’s goal of expanding and diversifying its core tourism sector through integrated resort developments. “Given the commission’s mandate to establish and enforce a robust regulatory framework for casino gaming in Jamaica, this training comes at a critical time as we continue to strengthen our internal capacity and expand our team to meet the demands of the growing industry,” Allen stated during the workshop’s opening session Wednesday. He emphasized that upskilling both commission staff and cross-agency partners on international regulatory standards and global best practices is non-negotiable ahead of the industry going live, noting “it is important that our officers, as well as our partners, are exposed to international standards and best practices before the space becomes active.” Allen did not provide a specific timeline for when commercial casino operations will officially launch in Jamaica.

    For more than a decade, two high-profile projects have been tied to Jamaica’s integrated casino resort vision: the multi-billion-dollar Harmony Cove luxury resort proposed for Trelawny, and Celebration Jamaica, which has laid out plans for a large-scale tourism and entertainment complex. Despite repeated announcements and repeatedly shifted launch timelines, however, no commercial casino has yet begun operations in the country.

    The participation of anti-crime and financial investigative agencies like MOCA and the Financial Investigations Division underscores the strict regulatory approach Jamaica is taking to the new sector, with a particular focus on shoring up anti-money laundering controls, blocking organized crime infiltration, and protecting the integrity of the national financial system.

    GLI, which has already supported Jamaican regulators and gaming industry stakeholders across the broader gaming sector, noted the training program is designed to lay the groundwork for a transparent, credible, and well-governed national casino market. “We want to ensure that the market launches with high integrity, that the policies and regulations are clear, concise, honest, accurate and fair, and that the populace trusts that it’s well regulated,” said Matt Toler, one of the lead workshop facilitators from GLI.

  • Musicians front and centre!

    Musicians front and centre!

    Jamaica’s live music industry is undergoing a long-overdue reckoning, as a collective of instrumental musicians led by saxophonist Verlando Small is calling for a fundamental shift in how session and backing musicians are valued, positioned, and compensated within the country’s entertainment ecosystem. At the official launch of the Verlando Small Reimagined performance series, held at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus’ Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts, artists opened up about the systemic challenges that have long sidelined instrumentalists, pushing them to the background of live productions even as their work forms the backbone of every successful show.

    Slated for May 9 and 10, the two-night event is co-produced by the Verlando Small Reimagined Production Team and Aureum Luxe Entertainment, with a talented core lineup featuring musical director Evan Mason, guitarists Nicholas Groskopf and Brandon Benjamin, percussionists Colin Phillips and Robert Malcolm, multi-instrumentalist Joe Davis, and producer-engineer-musician Keneil Delisser. The launch drew a host of respected Jamaican music industry figures, including veteran industry leader Tommy Cowan and iconic tenor saxophonist Dean Fraser, all gathered to discuss the future of the craft in Jamaica.

    Opening the conversation, Tommy Cowan framed the push for musician leadership as a full-circle moment for Jamaican music, recalling the legacy of standout instrumentalists from decades past. “From the days of Ernie Ranglin, Tommy McCook, and Dan Drummond, through to icons like Dean Fraser today, excellence has always come when musicians step into their own power,” Cowan noted. “Ultimately, it comes down to each musician’s personal responsibility, ambition, and understanding of their purpose in this industry.”

    For Verlando Small, who made history in 2013 as the only non-vocalist to win Jamaica’s popular Digicel Rising Stars talent competition, the conversation is long overdue. Small, who has built a cross-genre reputation playing saxophone in contemporary worship, reggae, jazz, and soul, challenged fellow instrumentalists to take an active role in elevating their standing in the industry. “If we want more recognition and better treatment as musicians, we have to be willing to grow into more,” Small asserted. “Earning a seat at the planning table doesn’t just happen — it requires vision, original ideas, and a solid understanding of how the business side of music works.” He also emphasized that musicians consistently go above and beyond to deliver a seamless, successful show, and that greater inclusion in production planning and fair compensation must match that commitment. “We never let a show fail — we always give more than what’s asked of us. Inclusion and fair pay have to follow that effort,” he said.

    Grammy Award-winning guitarist Nicholas Groskopf echoed Small’s perspective, pointing out that while the work of musicians is irreplaceable, they are often sidelined until showtime. “Live music simply cannot happen without us, and every musician is a star in their own right — but it’s still a team effort,” Groskopf explained. “A lot of the time, we feel pushed to the back seat and forgotten, until the day of the show when everyone is scrambling to pull everything together.” He added that while Jamaica’s music industry is globally celebrated for its innovation and talent, systemic improvements are needed to better integrate musicians into early planning and production processes, rather than treating them as afterthoughts.

    Percussionist Robert Malcolm highlighted another persistent challenge: the industry’s overreliance on informal verbal agreements, with little to no formal documentation. “We operate mostly in a verbal community here, but there’s almost never any follow-up in writing,” Malcolm said. “Without a paper trail, you get constant confusion around expectations, rehearsal schedules, and compensation, which leaves musicians in vulnerable positions.”

    For musical director Evan Mason, the path forward starts with greater visibility and more intentional opportunities for instrumentalists to step into the spotlight. “We need more platforms, more events where musicians can perform in the light, not just as backup, but as the main attraction,” Mason said. While he acknowledged that Jamaica has produced legendary standouts like Dean Fraser, Monty Alexander, and Dennis Rushton, he noted these iconic figures are exceptions, not the norm for most working instrumentalists in the country. “We just need more opportunities to showcase the incredible depth of talent that exists here,” he added.

    Mason also pushed for musicians to proactively engage with the business side of the industry, even when it means having uncomfortable conversations. “Learn how the business works. Have those difficult discussions, because that’s where fair compensation comes from,” he said. “Most of the time, being clear from the start with paperwork and formal contractual agreements makes everything easier for everyone involved. We’re not here to bash anyone in the industry — we’re saying that as musicians, we have work to do to lift ourselves up and claim the space we deserve.”

    The upcoming Verlando Small Reimagined shows are designed to turn this conversation into action, putting instrumentalists front and center to showcase their talent and redefine their role in Jamaica’s live entertainment landscape.

  • US mom’s viral video of son in Jamaica jersey melts hearts online

    US mom’s viral video of son in Jamaica jersey melts hearts online

    A spontaneous, heartwarming clip capturing a young boy’s fierce pride in representing Jamaica has taken social media by storm, resonating deeply with hundreds of thousands of viewers across the globe — and particularly within the Jamaican community.

    Brenda Estrada, a mother of two residing in Delaware, United States, saw the video of her 4-year-old son Mateo go viral in early 2025. In the clip, which has now earned more than 678,000 likes and counts growing engagement by the day, the little boy confidently shows off his Jamaican national football (soccer) jersey, affectionately known as the kit of the ‘Reggae Boyz’, the nation’s men’s national team. Estrada later joked that she could not bring herself to correct her son, who has no known Jamaican ancestral roots, and burst his innocent bubble of joy.

    Contrary to assumptions that the boy’s affection for the Caribbean nation came out of thin air, the connection grew from a memorable family trip. In an interview with the *Jamaica Observer*, Estrada explained that the whole family traveled to Jamaica in April 2025, a getaway that left an indelible mark on young Mateo. During the trip, the family picked up the jersey, and Mateo fell head over heels for the island, even developing a fondness for the local staple jerk chicken. ‘Unless it was being washed, he never wanted to wear anything else,’ Estrada said of the jersey, noting that Mateo asks for it almost every morning.

    The viral moment itself was never planned, the mother confirmed. She had originally opened her camera to record a quick clip to send to Mateo’s father, and caught the boy’s enthusiastic display of his jersey completely by accident. Beyond his positive trip memories, Mateo’s lifelong love of soccer also fed into the moment. The whole family surrounds themselves with the sport: Mateo’s older sister plays competitively, the family regularly attends matches for their local Major League Soccer side, the Philadelphia Union, and the team’s starting captain is Andre Blake, a veteran Jamaican goalkeeper who plies his trade for the Reggae Boyz internationally.

    In the caption that accompanied the viral post, Estrada joked, ‘He may have been Jamaican in another lifetime… we definitely need to go back for another visit.’ Despite Mateo having no Jamaican lineage, the response from Jamaican social media users has been overwhelmingly warm and welcoming. ‘Every comment, every message has been so kind, it’s been amazing,’ Estrada said. She extended a public note of gratitude to the Jamaican community that has embraced her son: ‘Thank you for all the love you’ve shown him. It really means so much to our whole family.’

    Fueled by the outpouring of support and Mateo’s persistent requests to return to the island, Estrada confirmed that another trip to Jamaica is already being planned in the near future.