The JWalker Buzz crew caught up with the Jamaican Songstress and got a chance to hear about this watershed moment in Jamaican music history. Click on the link below.:
Tessanne Chin on performing at the White House with Legends
Posted: 24/04/2024 in UncategorizedTags: Aretha Franklin, Barack Obama, History, Jamaica, LEGENDS, Michelle Obama, Music, Patti LaBelle, Reggae, Tessanne Chin, White House
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JAMAICA AND THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO ENJOY STRONG DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
Posted: 20/07/2023 in Caribbean, Current Affairs, Jamaica, PoliticsTags: Diaspora, immigration, Jamaica, Politics, USA
(MFA&FT: July 18, 2023)
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, has dismissed recent media reports of a “diplomatic row” between Jamaica and the United States.
In accordance with diplomatic practice, and within the ambit of its Constitution, Jamaica grants privileges and immunities to incoming diplomats, their staff and families, to either reside in or visit the country. All requests made to the Foreign Ministry are considered within this context. Members of staff from both countries continue to reside and work in each other’s territory, and are expected to observe the laws of their host country.
Minister Johnson Smith emphasized that Jamaica has always complied with procedures and set term limits for the length of stay of diplomats within the United States. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade has complied with these procedures, and has in fact conducted its customary rotation exercise. Heads of Jamaican missions in the United States whose tenure will come naturally to an end later this year, are already preparing for their transition,” the Minister said.
Minister Johnson Smith emphasized that; “The Government of Jamaica recognizes the importance of maintaining the traditions and practices of diplomacy, which have long ensured a seamless relationship with the diplomatic community, and supported vibrant and admirable relation with the United States for over sixty years.” She further observed that; “The people-to-people relations between Jamaica and the United States have been a most successful area of cooperation, and we look forward to their continuation. There is no diplomatic row between Jamaica and the United States, as we continue to enjoy strong and positive diplomatic relations.”
Contact: The Public Relations & Media Affairs Unit
Telephone: (+1) 876 676-4028-30● E-mail: pr@mfaft.gov.jm ●Web: https://www.facebook.com/mfaftja/
The Bob Marley: One Love movie trailer
Posted: 07/07/2023 in UncategorizedTags: Bob Marley, Caribbean, Culture, ENTERTAINMENT, History, Jamaica, MARLEY, Movie, Music, One Love, Reggae
What do you think?
USA open Gold Cup vs. title aspirants Jamaica
Posted: 23/06/2023 in Caribbean, FOOTBALL, Jamaica, SportsTags: Caribbean, Concocaf, FOOTBALL, Jamaica, SPORTS, USA
(I-D), Daniel Johnson de Jamaica y Gianluca Busio de USA durante el partido Estados Unidos vs Jamaica, correspondiente a Cuartos de Final de la Copa Oro de la CONCACAF 2021, en el AT-T Stadium, el 25 de Julio de 2021.
Courtesy of Concacaf
MIAMI, Florida – The 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup group stage kicks off this Saturday in Group A with defending champions United States taking on title aspirants Jamaica at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.
The U.S. will be seeking to win their first back-to-back Gold Cup crowns since the 2005 and 2007 editions and a squad that is largely changed from the team that captured last week’s 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League title will get a chance to test its mettle against the Reggae Boyz.
Coach B.J. Callaghan has called upon a squad that does boast some names that formed part of the 2021 Gold Cup winning squad, including winger Gianluca Busio, MF Cristian Roldan and defensive midfielder James Sands.
Up top, the U.S. will look to the likes of Jesus Ferreira and Jordan Morris to help supply the scoring. Ferreira led all players in scoring in League A of the 2022-23 CNL with four goals, while Morris has a penchant for scoring big Gold Cup goals, having notched the winning strike in the 2017 Final against Jamaica.
The Caribbean side counters with a squad that is overflowing with talent.
Michail Antonio, Leon Bailey, Bobby Reid and new arrival Demarai Gray are among the players named to the Jamaica team that ply their trade in the English Premier League.
Bailey and Reid each had two goals in the CNL, while Antonio has shown he is a threat from anywhere on the field, having scored a world-class goal in Concacaf World Cup Qualifying for Qatar 2022 against the United States.
INFORMATION ON JAMAICA LEADING INTO THE CONCACAF GOLD CUP
- For the first time in Gold Cup History, Jamaica is participating in 5 Gold Cup tournaments in a row, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and now 2023. This is the first time this is happening.
- Jamaica is one of four teams to play in a Gold Cup final twice – USA, Mexico and Panama are the others
- Jamaica has played 50 matches in Gold Cup history. The only Caribbean team to accomplish this feat
4.This summer will be Jamaica’s 13th Gold Cup Appearance ( 1991, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
- Jamaica’s largest margin of victory at a Gold Cup: Jamaica 4-0 Grenada – 2011
Overall, the U.S. lead this series 19W-9D-3L, with 52 goals scored and just 20 conceded. In Gold Cup play, the meetings between the two sides have historically been close.
The U.S. have six wins to Jamaica’s one, but their last four contests saw a 2-1 Jamaica win in the 2015 semifinals, a 2-1 U.S. win in the 2017 Final, a 3-1 U.S. win in the 2019 semifinals and a 1-0 U.S. win in the 2021 quarterfinals.
Match Officials United States vs Jamaica
Referee: CESAR RAMOS (Mexico)
1st Assistant Referee: ALBERTO MORIN (Mexico)
2nd Assistant Referee: MARCO BISGUERRA (Mexico)
4th Official: FERNANDO GUERRERO (Mexico)
VAR: ERICK MIRANDA (Mexico)
AVAR1: JORGE PEREZ (Mexico)
| Urgent Update: FFTP Responds to Haiti Earthquake After Torrential Flooding |
| COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (June 6, 2023) – Three days after heavy flooding submerged parts of Haiti, Food For The Poor (FFTP) is responding to an urgent need for aid in the southern part of the country after an earthquake struck early Tuesday, killing at least four people. Three containers with family food kits and hygiene kits will be loaded at the charity’s Coconut Creek warehouse today and Wednesday and be shipped to Haiti on Friday to replenish goods en route to or already at the port in Haiti. The magnitude 4.9 quake struck before dawn offshore near Jeremie, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The latest crisis comes as Haiti is recovering from massive flooding over the weekend that killed at least 51 people, injured 140 and flooded nearly 31,600 homes. “There is considerable damage and the hospitals are receiving injured,” Food For The Poor-Haiti Executive Director Mario Nicoleau said. “Lots of panic, as you can imagine.” The quake occurred in the same area where a new bridge in Jeremie was covered by floodwaters from Saturday’s torrential rains, cutting off the area. The bridge was installed after the previous span collapsed following a 7.2-magnitude quake in August 2021 that killed more than 2,200 people. |
Photo courtesy JCOM Haiti
Read more below on how FFTP is responding to the flooding in Haiti:
Food For The Poor (FFTP) is responding to an urgent need for aid in Haiti after torrential rains on Saturday unleashed widespread flooding in Port-au-Prince and several other departments, displacing thousands and wiping out crops in the central region.
Photos and videos showed streets turned into raging rivers of brown water.
Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency said the weekend floods killed at least 51 people, injured 140 and flooded nearly 31,600 homes.
FFTP’s team in Haiti has supplies on the ground and is assessing the needs to mobilize aid.
Though the weather improved on Monday, FFTP-Haiti Executive Director Mario Nicoleau said many areas in Port-au-Prince were under water on Saturday.
“I was leaving my house to go render assistance, and the road has become the river,” Nicoleau said Saturday.
Here’s how FFTP is responding:
- On Friday, FFTP will send two disaster relief kits and two pallets of 5-gallon buckets from its Coconut Creek warehouse. Additionally, 10,000 hygiene kits will be sent to respond to the flood and for future disaster response needs this hurricane season. Volunteers are coming weekly to pack 14,000 food kits, and those assembled so far will be included in Friday’s shipment set to arrive in Haiti on Monday.
- FFTP has shipped two containers of disaster blankets donated by partner Matthew 25: Ministries that arrived in Haiti on May 23, with two more containers set to arrive later this month.
- FFTP has shipped 2,800 family emergency kits from partner Global Medic that are due to arrive in Haiti this month. Each kit provides hygiene supplies for an average family of five for three months, or a total of about 14,000 people.
- In addition, more than 200 containers of aid are en route or at the port in Haiti, including more than 80 containers of rice from Taiwan, plus additional food, medicine and medical supplies as part of the charity’s regular shipments to Haiti, unrelated to its response to the flooding.
Watch this video provided to FFTP of a man carrying a baby in floodwaters in Léogâne, Haiti: https://youtu.be/SjJ0LX49UKY
 CONTACT: Michael Turnbell Communications(954) 471-0928Turnbell.Michael@foodforthepoor.org Urgent Update: FFTP Responds to Haiti Earthquake After Torrential Flooding COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (June 6, 2023) – Three days after heavy flooding submerged parts of Haiti, Food For The Poor (FFTP) is responding to an urgent need for aid in the southern part of the country after an earthquake struck early Tuesday, killing at least four people. Three containers with family food kits and hygiene kits will be loaded at the charity’s Coconut Creek warehouse today and Wednesday and be shipped to Haiti on Friday to replenish goods en route to or already at the port in Haiti. The magnitude 4.9 quake struck before dawn offshore near Jeremie, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The latest crisis comes as Haiti is recovering from massive flooding over the weekend that killed at least 51 people, injured 140 and flooded nearly 31,600 homes. “There is considerable damage and the hospitals are receiving injured,” Food For The Poor-Haiti Executive Director Mario Nicoleau said. “Lots of panic, as you can imagine.” The quake occurred in the same area where a new bridge in Jeremie was covered by floodwaters from Saturday’s torrential rains, cutting off the area. The bridge was installed after the previous span collapsed following a 7.2-magnitude quake in August 2021 that killed more than 2,200 people. Photo Caption – 20230606_HAI_Earthquake: Haitians carry an injured woman in Jeremie following a 4.9 magnitude earthquake that struck before dawn Tuesday. Photo courtesy JCOM Haiti Read more below on how FFTP is responding to the flooding in Haiti: Food For The Poor (FFTP) is responding to an urgent need for aid in Haiti after torrential rains on Saturday unleashed widespread flooding in Port-au-Prince and several other departments, displacing thousands and wiping out crops in the central region. Photos and videos showed streets turned into raging rivers of brown water. Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency said the weekend floods killed at least 51 people, injured 140 and flooded nearly 31,600 homes. FFTP’s team in Haiti has supplies on the ground and is assessing the needs to mobilize aid. Though the weather improved on Monday, FFTP-Haiti Executive Director Mario Nicoleau said many areas in Port-au-Prince were under water on Saturday. “I was leaving my house to go render assistance, and the road has become the river,” Nicoleau said Saturday. Here’s how FFTP is responding: On Friday, FFTP will send two disaster relief kits and two pallets of 5-gallon buckets from its Coconut Creek warehouse. Additionally, 10,000 hygiene kits will be sent to respond to the flood and for future disaster response needs this hurricane season. Volunteers are coming weekly to pack 14,000 food kits, and those assembled so far will be included in Friday’s shipment set to arrive in Haiti on Monday. FFTP has shipped two containers of disaster blankets donated by partner Matthew 25: Ministries that arrived in Haiti on May 23, with two more containers set to arrive later this month. FFTP has shipped 2,800 family emergency kits from partner Global Medic that are due to arrive in Haiti this month. Each kit provides hygiene supplies for an average family of five for three months, or a total of about 14,000 people. In addition, more than 200 containers of aid are en route or at the port in Haiti, including more than 80 containers of rice from Taiwan, plus additional food, medicine and medical supplies as part of the charity’s regular shipments to Haiti, unrelated to its response to the flooding. Watch this video provided to FFTP of a man carrying a baby in floodwaters in Léogâne, Haiti: https://youtu.be/SjJ0LX49UKY The deluge was not associated with a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico, which became the first named storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season on Friday before weakening back to a depression. But the impact from even a heavy rainstorm raises a new urgency in a country that has been wracked for months by extreme poverty and violence, a cholera outbreak and a deepening hunger crisis. Last week, two United Nations agencies warned of a worsening food crisis in Haiti. FFTP-Haiti team members reported that two of the charity’s regional distribution centers in Haiti’s southern peninsula had run out of food and supplies. The main road to the south out of Port-au-Prince has been blocked for months by gangs. Shipping goods by barge also has been stymied because of the blockades. The New York Times reported on Monday that residents have taken up arms in a vigilante campaign to reclaim streets in Haiti’s capital. FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine said the charity has continued to distribute aid when windows of opportunity allow it to be done safely while waiting for the right moment to respond on a massive scale. Last week, just before the flooding, FFTP-Haiti distributed food kits to 378 families in Pistere, Bas Fosse, Demier, Dumas and Miniere. The kits contain enough food to feed the average family for a week. Volunteers at FFTP’s Hearts United Community Day event in December packed the kits containing rice, pasta, cornmeal, canned fruit, vegetables, beans and vegetable oil. |
“The images of the rising waters from Saturday’s flooding are terrifying,” Raine said. “So many families were already struggling due to the ongoing crisis and need our help. We’re grateful to our volunteers for assembling these food and hygiene kits and to our generous donors and partners who are allowing us to respond immediately and come to the aid of these families.”
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry children and families living in poverty primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for vulnerable children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.
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Photo Captions:
HAI Delmas19: Torrential rains on Friday and Saturday sent floodwaters through Port-au-Prince and several regional departments in Haiti. Photo/Food For The Poor
HAI LEOGANE3 flooding June 03 23: Torrential rains on Friday and Saturday sent floodwaters through Léogâne and several regional departments in Haiti. Photo/passion_info_plus
HAI Petit Goave 2 flooding June 03 23: A street in Petit-Goâve, Haiti, is filled with floodwaters after torrential rains pelted Haiti on Friday and Saturday. Photo/Food For The Poor
CRD -Rue Stenio Vincent, Port-de-Paix: Residents wade through floodwaters in Port-de-Paix, Haiti, after torrential rains pelted the Caribbean nation on Friday and Saturday. Photo/Food For The Poor
CRD Grigri Port-de-Paix- June 3rd, 2023: Streets in Port-de-Paix, Haiti, are covered by floodwaters after torrential rains pelted the Caribbean nation on Friday and Saturday. Photo/Food For The Poor
HAI June 03 2023 Jeremie Bridge: A portion of a bridge, installed last year to connect Jeremie to the rest of Haiti after the August 2021 earthquake, was covered by floodwaters from Saturday’s torrential rains. Photo courtesy decouvrir_la_grandan
Family food kits Distribution- 38 families- Dumas- June 2nd, 2023 (29): On June 2, Food For The Poor-Haiti team members distributed food kits to 38 families in Dumas. The kits were packed by volunteers at FFTP’s Hearts United Community Day event last December. Photo/Food For The Poor
Jamaica Consul General Talks Atlanta Jamaica Hi-5k Walk
Posted: 06/05/2023 in UncategorizedTags: Atlanta, Caribbean, Charity, Jamaica, Run, Walk
Jamaica’s 🇯🇲 Consul General: Oliver Mair invites you to come & join us in a great cause as we raise money for clinics in Jamaica and do a healthy 5k at the same time!
This is all happening on the 6th of May beginning at 7:30 am at the Miller Grove Middle School 2215 Miller Road Decatur Ga 30035
The link to register is here: https://runsignup.com/Race/GA/Atlanta/JamaicaHi5KRunAtlanta
Jamaican Men of Florida elects President Kennedy and a New Leadership Team
Posted: 16/03/2023 in Caribbean, Charity, Culture, UncategorizedTags: Florida, Jamaica, Men, President
The Jamaican Men of Florida (JMOF) elects Pete A. Kennedy, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida. (March 7, 2023) – Jamaican Men of Florida, on February 21, 2023, voted and elected Pete A. Kennedy the new president of their organization. Kennedy is President and CEO of EMYLL LLC.
Kennedy is a passionate leader of men who loves Jamaica and the Jamaican community in the Diaspora. He brings a fresh perspective and what seems to be unlimited energy to the presidency.
A leadership expert, best-selling author, and a man of exemplary character. He is a native of the island of Jamaica, and a past student at Kingston College. His expertise dovetails nicely with the JMOF’s mission, in that his business focuses on the personal and professional development of individuals of all ages. Prior to starting his own business, Pete gained his experience and background from various industries working for Fortune 500 companies such as T-Mobile & Wells Fargo Bank NA., including aviation and hospitality as a Learning & Development leader. As head of EMYLL, Pete’s role focuses on helping organizations thrive through leadership solutions; he is known as the “Leadership Doctor.”
Pete earned a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems (CIS), and a master’s in educational leadership both from DeVry University. He is a member of the John Maxwell Leadership Team, former secretary of Jamaican Men of Florida (JMOF), and membership manager for the Black Professional Networks (BPN) in Miami, FL. Pete recently authored and release the international best-seller, ‘When a man loves – A Lifestyle & Leadership Most Men Will Never Experience,’ ranking top 6 in four countries, USA, Canada, Australia & Germany. For his role as a community servant, June 20th was designated by the Broward County Commission as Pete Kennedy Day. Pete shares two boys with his wife Jillian.
The additional members of the executive leadership team that were elected and installed are: Kirk M. Lawrence, Vice President, Cian Campbell, Executive Secretary and Derrick Monroe serving his second term as Treasurer. Elected to our Board of Directors are:
David Muir – Board Director & Membership Chair
Jason Walker – Board Director & Marketing/Public Relations Chair
Jermain Morgan – Board Director & Special Projects Chair
Easton Harrison – Board Director & NextGen Chair
Pastor Powell – Board Director & Chaplain
OPEN – Board Director & Legal Advisor
Dr. Rupert Francis – President Emeritus
Dr. Allan Cunningham – JMOF Founder, Lifetime Member, and Honorary Board Member
Hon. Peter Gracey – Honorary Chair
About Jamaican Men of Florida
Jamaican Men of Florida is men’s organization whose mission is “to empower, transform, and impact communities across generations inspired by the culture, identity, and the personal and professional excellence of men of Jamaican descent.” The organization was founded by Dr. Allan Cunningham. Dr Cunningham invited a small group of likeminded Jamaican men in the spring of 2020 to be on his first board. For more information, visit www.jmoflorida.com.
Media Contact:
Jason Walker, Marketing and Public Relations
jasoncommunityfl@gmail.com
(404) 507-2465
3rd ANNUAL AFRO-CARIB FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES A STELLAR MUSIC LINEUP FEATURING GROUNDBREAKING REGGAE ARTIST, KOFFEE, INTERNATIONAL AFROPOP SENSATION TEKNO, CUBA’S REGGAETON STAR JACOB FOREVER AND HAITIAN HITMAKER J. PERRY
Posted: 25/02/2023 in UncategorizedTags: AfroCarib, Haiti, J Perry, Jamaica, Koffee
City of Miramar festival celebrates music, culture & cuisine from African Diaspora & Caribbean
MIRAMAR, FL (January 18, 2022)- The City of Miramar presents the 3rd Annual Afro-Carib Festival (ACF) happening on Saturday, February 25, 2023, 5pm-11pm ET, at the Miramar Regional Park Amphitheater located at 16801 Miramar Parkway, Miramar, FL 33027. The Afro-Carib festival, presented by Visit Lauderdale, is where Black History Month meets Reggae Month to celebrate the blended cultures that evolved through a shared bond rooted in African origins. These powerful bonds have manifested to create a people rich in music, culture, and cuisine. Ticket holders will enjoy live performances by a carefully selected roster of unique, soulful artists representing reggae, afrobeats, afropop, kompa, reggaeton, salsa and more musical genres from the Caribbean and African Diaspora.
“Part of who we are as a people, descendants from African and Caribbean roots, are reflected in the music, instruments and dance which make up our rich culture and heritage. When you listen to the lyrics of these artistes and feel the rhythm of the Afro-Reggae – inspired beat, it resonates deep within the soul, and it is what we want to bring to this celebration of our multi diverse community in Miramar,” said City of Miramar Commissioner Alexandra P. Davis
Headlining the popular music and culture festival is KOFFEE, Jamaica’s
“reggae ambassador of positive energy”.
Nigerian born singer and songwriter Tekno will grace the Afro-Carib stage with his energetic Afropop performance
The self-proclaimed Afropop King and Nigerian-born singer/songwriter/ producer Tekno has been heating up the digital and radio airwaves since the debut of his 2016 international hit “Pana.” Since then, he has released a seamless stream of hits for himself and others as a highly sought-after producer, such as “Buga (Lo Lo Lo) with Kizz Daniel, “Mufasa” and “Skeletun.” Now based in the United States, he spreads positive vibes through melodies laced over a perfect intertwining of both Afrobeats and Afropop
Using fusions of rap and reggaeton, GRAMMY nominated, Cuban born Jacob Forever is known for his artistic diversity between bachata, urban and reggaeton. He has collaborated with international artists such as Farruko, Pitbull, Thalia, Enrique Iglesias, De La Ghetto and Nacho among others.
2012 Haitian Artist of the Year J. Perry will perform from his catalog of hits including the 2012 mega-hit “Dekole” which was awarded “Hit Song of the Decade” in Haiti. “Dekole” was chosen as the theme song for the 2012 Haitian Carnival, which was renamed “Ayiti ap Dekole” in honor of J. Perry’s song. The song was also featured on the Zumba “Mega Mix 33” volume. A Zumba enthusiast and dedicated fitness guru himself, J. Perry will bring incredible energy to the stage at Afro Carib Festival.
Alexander Star is an Emmy-nominated songwriter and performer whose music is featured in Super Bowl campaigns, United Nations collaborations, and primetime TV. He has performed in over 10 countries and help more than 500 teens in foster care write and record original music.
ACF will also offer a musical mix by DJ Fergie of Power 96. MCs are Papa Keith of 103.5/The Beat, Jody Ann Gray and Lance O.
Local food vendors will serve up their specialty Caribbean and African dishes and merchandise vendors will offer unique finds, representing the many cultures of the Diaspora.
General admission tickets at $25 and VIP tickets at $125 are on sale now at TICKETMASTER. Parking is $10 cash. For more info, please visit www.afrocaribfestmiramar.com or call 954-602-3178.
For media inquiries, please contact Suzan McDowell, suzan@circleofonemarketing.com or 305-576-3790. ARTIST HEADSHOTS HERE. Interviews available upon request.
North Beach Social featuring PALO! In celebration of the Wolfsonian FIU’s “Turn the Beat Around” Exhibit
Posted: 16/02/2023 in UncategorizedTags: Cuba, FIU, Miami, Music
North Beach Social featuring PALO! In celebration of the Wolfsonian FIU’s “Turn the Beat Around” Exhibit
Thursday, February 16th
Presented by Rhythm Foundation and the Wolfsonian FIU at the Miami Beach Bandshell
The Rhythm Foundation and the Wolfsonian FIU Museum proudly present Cuban funk band PALO! as the performers for this month’s North Beach Social at the Miami Beach Bandshell (7275 Collins Ave, Miami Beach). North Beach Social is a free monthly concert presented at the Miami Beach Bandshell as part of the City of Miami Beach’s Third Thursday Culture Crawl. The show begins at 8:00 PM; Doors at 6:30 PM. Attendance is free with RSVP here.
This month’s social celebrates the Wolfsonian FIU Museum’s ‘Turn The Beat Around’ exhibition with an evening of classic Cuban music and visuals. The Wolfsonian’s exhibit, which explores cultural exchange and collaboration between Cuba and the U.S. from the 1930s to 1960s, runs through April 30th. The concert, presented free to the public and via live-stream, features PALO!, one of South Florida’s most popular Cuban bands, playing a set of their signature funky, jazzy salsa.
PALO! ‘s performances highlight the group’s extraordinary musicians, including vocals by charismatic Cuban singers Miriam Martinez, Julio Cesar Rodriguez Delet, and Dannah Santiago, who also plays flute. The scorching percussion of Dayron Gallardo (congas) and Otto Santana (timbales) punctuate the shows with Cuban fire. Latin Jazz saxophonist Aldo Salvent electrifies every song. Bandleader and founder Steve Roitstein fuses these elements with a foundation of edgy, unforgettable rhythms.
The Wolfsonian’s programming partners include Miami Soundscapes and The Wolfsonian Public Humanities Lab.
About the Rhythm Foundation
We create shared cultural experiences that build and strengthen the diverse communities of South Florida through the presentation of live music. We believe:
● International cultural exchange injects empathy and positivity into the global conversation;
● Cultural activity develops community and builds neighborhoods;
● Miami is a global city, and our artists and audiences are world-class.
About The Wolfsonian – FIU
The Wolfsonian–FIU is a museum that explores the inventive and provocative character of the modern world. Through objects and design, we reveal how the past influences the present and shapes the future.
The Wolfsonian–FIU uses objects to illustrate the persuasive power of art and design, to explore what it means to be modern, and to tell the story of social, political, and technological changes that have transformed our world. It encourages people to see the world in new ways and to learn from the past as they shape the present and influence the future.
Home for Christmas: Food For The Poor Pays Fines of & Frees 146 Nonviolent Offenders in Haiti, Jamaica and Guyana
Posted: 22/12/2022 in Activism, Caribbean, Charity, JamaicaTags: Charity, CHRISTmas, Food For The Poor, Freedom, Guyana, Haiti, Inspiration, Jamaica, Prison Reform
| COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Dec. 21, 2022) – A total of 146 nonviolent prisoners will be home for Christmas, thanks to Food For The Poor (FFTP) and the generous donors who support the charity’s prison ministry. For more than two decades, FFTP has honored the tradition of securing the release of nonviolent offenders by paying their accumulated fines twice a year, at Christmas and Easter. Many were arrested for stealing to feed their families or for something that would be considered a minor offense and later held in some of the most notorious prisons throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, unable to pay the fines for their release. |
In Haiti, 140 prisoners were released from six different prisons located in the northern and central part of the country beginning Dec. 14 and continuing through today. In Jamaica, four prisoners were released on Dec. 15. In Guyana, two prisoners were released on Monday. “Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry began 24 years ago with paying the fines of nonviolent offenders twice a year, at Easter and Christmas, but this year has been especially challenging because of the crisis in Haiti and a cholera outbreak,” FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine said. “But thanks to our very compassionate donors, we were blessed to continue this annual tradition and provide hundreds of people with the priceless gift of a second chance for Christmas.”
In Haiti, poverty, civil unrest, and gang violence have taken a toll on the Caribbean nation, making day-to-day living nearly impossible for destitute families. The inmates who were released each received a hot meal and drink, a bag of rice to take home, and money to cover travel expenses to get home. In addition to paying the fines for nonviolent offenders, FFTP also is providing regular distribution of rice, beans and Manna Pack rice meals to the severely crowded main prison in Port-au-Prince, at the request of the government.
The charity also is assisting with repairing the prison’s water system and propane system used for cooking in the kitchen. In Jamaica, each newly freed person received a food package and travel money to return home. In this video, Sandra Ramsey, longtime manager of the Prison Ministry for FFTP-Jamaica, talks about the history of the program and how it began: https://youtu.be/TCLzLarcHPM
One of the released inmates in Jamaica expressed gratitude to FFTP because he was able to be home for his family’s annual gathering on Dec. 15. Charged with uttering false documents, the man was sentenced to 30 days in prison. While he regrets his crimes, he said he learned his lesson. His advice to young people: “It is better if you keep trying the right way and not the illegal way because whatever you do will come back to you,” he said. “There is always a penalty, whether to you or your children and the next generation.” At a ceremony for the inmates’ release in Guyana,
FFTP-Guyana CEO Kent Vincent encouraged the prisoners to pray and work hard. Food hampers including lunch, loaves of bread, personal care items and a Bible were given to the inmates. “Mistakes happen, but (the prisoners) should set their lives in order, let God be the focus of their lives, and always show the kindness they received from Food For The Poor to others,” Vincent said. Stephenson, 22, explained that he worked on the sea, and life was hard taking care of his younger brother. He is thankful for a second chance and promised that he will be a better person. To support FFTP’s Prison Ministry Program, checks payable to Food For The Poor can be mailed to 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073. Please include reference number “SC# 74122” to ensure your donation is correctly routed, or make an online donation at www.FoodForThePoor.org/prisoners.
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry children and families living in poverty primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for vulnerable children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org. ###
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