JaRIA announces honourees

Friday, January 27, 2012

RISING Star winner Romain Virgo has been named artiste of 2011 by the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA).

Virgo was named among a long list of entertainers and others who will be recognised at JaRIA's annual awards ceremony to be held at Emancipation Park on February 25, and serve as a climax for the activities in observance of Reggae Month.

The Artiste of Year category is among three new awards to be handed out by JaRIA at the event. The others are Songwriter of the Year which goes to Bob Andy, and Song of the Year -- One By One by Laza Morgan featuring Mavado.

This year, the honour awards will go to Copeland Forbes (lifetime achievement); Alpha Boys' School (mentorship); Peter Tosh and Gregory Isaacs will receive posthumous awards; while Jack Ruby Hi Fi and Tom 'The Great' Sebastian will receive the sound system award.

Other awardees are sound engineers Errol Thompson and Phillip Smart; producers Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd and Arthur 'Duke' Reid; musicians Ernie Ranglin and Jackie Mittoo; artistes Toots Hibbert and Marcia Griffiths; ska band The Skatellites, and the group Culture.

The late radio announcer Neville Willoughby and promoters of Reggae Sunsplash Syngery will also be recognised for their contribution to the local music industry.

In announcing the list of awardees at the launch of Reggae Month on Tuesday, JaRIA committee member Mary Isaacs noted that this year in recognition of Jamaica's 50th anniversary of independence, a special Golden Jubilee Commemorative Award has been designed and will be presented to the Jamaica Federation of Musicians and Affiliated Artistes, more popularly known as the JFM.

Established in 1958, the JFM has been the primary organisation advocating for the rights and protection, as well as advancing the interests of musicians, artistes and affiliated industry professionals.

Isaacs added that this year's awards presentation will feature a docu-drama style concert with special orchestration of selected pieces of music done originally by some of the awardees.