Bartlett commits to construction of Reggae Museum

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 21, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett has committed to the construction of a Reggae Museum to the tune of J$25Million. The move forms part of the Ministry’s effort to build out the reggae product to create more authentic Jamaican experiences for visitors and locals alike. The project will be done in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport.

Funding for the project will be done through Tourism Enhancement Fund which has also committed, through the Tourism Linkages Network, J$15Million towards the marketing of Reggae month events.

Minister Bartlett, in making the announcement at the official launch of Reggae month yesterday, said “We have to invest in the product called reggae and build out the capacity of reggae to drive 24/7experiences in different locations across Jamaica. Through the Linkages Network and collaboration with my colleague Minister, Hon Olivia Grange, we will use this funding to build out the product of reggae across the island.”

The Reggae Museum will seek to curate artifacts and other objects specific to the history of Jamaica’s reggae music. This will allow for the preservation of reggae artifacts for the education of the public.

Minister Bartlett said, “A reggae museum will not only benefit our people and history of this globally recognized art form, but will pull many people from across the world to our shores to learn more about our infectious culture.”

Reggae Month 2019 is being organized as a joint project between the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport and Ministry of Tourism through the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund.

“The building out of a consistent reggae product will also include the development of reggae trails.

These trails will be developed based on the locations from which the real icons of reggae emerged such as Trench Town, Nine Miles, Belmont and Somerton in St. James where the most highly recognized living Jamaican artiste, musician and actor Jimmy Cliff lives,” added Minister Bartlett.

The coordination of reggae month activities is also being driven by the Tourism Linkages Network’s Sports and Entertainment Network (SEN). The mandate of SEN is to develop the Jamaican tourism product while fostering growth and job creation through the development and/or enhancement of targeted sports and entertainment tourism niche products such as Reggae Month.

Reggae Month will run from February 1 – 28, 2019.