Grange Renews Call For Jamaican Artists To Get Vaccinated, Amidst 5th Wave
Minister of Entertainment Olivia Grange, has called on Jamaican artists and fans of live music to get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19, as Jamaica enters what is now being described as the fifth wave of the virus.
The Minister, who also has credits as a music producer, said some of Dancehall and Reggae music’s biggest names have already taken the jab, and it was imperative that their remaining compatriots follow suit, as keeping the coronavirus numbers down was critical to the staging of live events, upon which the island’s musicians heavily depend.
“I want to encourage our practitioners, our entertainers – go get vaccinated, those who have not yet vaccinated. I know that some of our leading artistes have been vaccinated. I am not going to call any names,” she told Irie FM’s radio announcer during an interview at the launch of Reggae Sumfest.
“Well I’m happy that Sumfest is back. I am happy that the entertainment industry – the sector, the people who love the music and those who are practitioners now have a change to exhale and start again to experience what is so wonderful about Jamaican culture,” Grange, who in the 1990s, served as manager to Bounty Killer, Patra and Shabba Ranks stated.
She emphasized the need for both partygoers and entertainers to take personal responsibility to protect themselves, to ensure that there is no outbreak which could trigger any reimplementation of restrictions on entertainment.
“If we take that and accept that we have are personally responsible to protect ourselves and others, then I would not expect any strong measures to be implemented. But if we don’t, and we have major problems, then what will have to be done will be done. But I am not predicting that,” Grange said.
“I am setting the example. And I am the number one cheerleader for the music industry. So if everybody follows my example, we should be OK,” she added.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness had reopened the entertainment sector in mid-March, days after making the announcement during his contribution to the 2022/2023 Budget Debate in the House of Parliament. During his presentation, Holness had declared that after two years he would be lifting all measures under the Disaster Risk Management Act, including the prohibition on entertainment events.
However, according to Grange, lovers of music ought not to take anything for granted.
“We are in the fifth wave and I do not want us to let our hair down, or to not recognise that we are still at risk. And so you will notice, I am wearing my mask and I am encouraging everyone wear your mask, sanitize keep your distance, observe all the protocols. Enjoy yourself, have all the fun you want but remember, COVID still a keep.
In June last year, the Jamaica Music Society (JAMMS) and Jamaica Association of Composers Authors and Publishers (JACAP) had issued a joint press release batting for the Dancehall and Reggae fraternity, calling for the Government to reopen the local entertainment sector, which had then been in a state of dormancy for 15 months.
The island’s two music rights societies had argued that the lockdown had resulted in an almost wipe-out of the income of a wide range of players in the cultural and creative industries.
JACAP’s General Manager Lydia Rose, had said that there was a “tremendous negative impact on members who earn a significant part of their income from the societies, as well as from live performances and touring”.
In addition, she had said that the societies suffered close to a 50 per cent fall-off in revenues, a direct result of the protracted lockdown of the sector and “other economic interruptions”.
JACAP and JAMMS had argued that the perpetuation of the entertainment sector’s lockdown “will serve to fuel the historical narrative of the music and entertainment industries being undervalued and not being given meaningful policy priority across multiple administrations”.