THE JAMAICAN FOLK SINGERS OPEN THEIR 2014 CONCERT SEASON!

The focus of the 2014 Concert Season is on community – the significance and importance of sharing and respecting each other, helping each other and the essence of cooperation. The ‘one community’ message is showcased in the sections: One Community ‘At Home’, ‘At Work’, ‘Marketing’, ‘In Worship’ and in ‘Celebration’.

As has occurred in the last few years, the Jamaican Folk Singers is incorporating children in its concert season, partly in fulfillment of that part of its mission which relates to the group being “a bridge between the senior citizens who have nurtured the values and lore of oldJamaica, and the youths who are the hope and architects of tomorrow.” The experience of the group over the years continues to support the importance of maintaining contact with the children to help educate them on aspects of Jamaica’s folk music culture, including the vital life lessons and their relevance to the present day.

The Jamaican Folk Singers, which was founded in 1967 by Dr Olive Lewin, has strived through the years to remain true to its mission, which includes unearthing and exposing the beauty and artistic worth of Jamaica’s folk music heritage. It has been 47 years of overcoming challenges and helping to keep alive the folk foundations of Jamaica’s music.

Olive Lewin

The Jamaican Folk Singers began as a group of friends who were invited by Lewin to share her enthusiasm for Jamaica’s folk music, which developed with her experience in collecting and researching Jamaica’s folk music. From the group’s first public performance until now, there is focus on maintaining respect for our traditions and for the people who have kept them alive.

With a repertoire of more than 200 songs arranged by Lewin, the group has sung to enthusiastic audiences in Jamaica and several other countries, including Martinique, Barbados, Cuba, Mexico, the United States, Germany, Canada, Great Britain, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, and Argentina.

Over the years, the group has arranged island tours – giving free performances in markets, schools, church halls, and town centres across the island. These tours have been referred to by members as some of the most rewarding experiences – being welcomed by Jamaicans in every nook and cranny of the island. In the week following the concert season, the group will be travelling to Portland, St Mary, and St Ann to continue its island tour.

The 2014 Concert Season presents another opportunity for the group to use Jamaica’s folk music and its messages to uplift Jamaica while highlighting some of the values of ‘old Jamaica’, encouraging respect and understanding among people of different backgrounds. The season is scheduled for September 13-14 at the Little Theatre, with shows on Saturday at 4 p.m., and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the Little Theatre (Tom Redcam Avenue) and Music Mart (South Avenue).