What promises to be one of the most novel local music undertakings will be among the first major productions to take place in 2005. It will be the first time in the history of a local stage production that the cast will feature an entire family from performers to the production crew.

Ellis... Everybody on the show is going to be a member of the family.

Come Valentine's Day (February 14, 05), the ballroom of the Kingston Hilton Hotel is expected to rock with the talent from members of the Ellis family.

Dubbed a signature event by Owen "Blakka" Ellis, director of Ellis International, promoters of this one-of-a-kind stage show will see the multi-talented members of the Ellis clan packaging, marketing and promoting their creative abilities.

"The idea is to do a show with Alton (Alton Ellis is the famed rocksteady singer known as the king of that particular genre) as the biggest name in the family as the headliner. But the show would be largely about showcasing the talent in the family which is deep and wide," Blakka Ellis told the Observer.

"We planned to open in November at the Hilton, but after Ivan everything got setback, and we decided to reschedule the show for early next year. The venue has been booked already," he explained.

The popular comedian/actor was not joking as he stated: "Everybody on the show is going to be a member of the family. The backing band, the opening acts, and we want to have a variety of opening acts, everything from martial arts which my son Joel does to dub poetry and Hortense's (a popular singer from the 1960s and '70s) Ricky Martin, is a brilliant dancer/choreographer.

Neither was he playing for the gallery when he added: "The set design, the artwork, will all be done by family members because we have the skills and the talent. And we want to record the show live and make it into an album, Alton and the Family Live."

But he may have been trifle flippant when he enthused: "Our difficulty now is deciding who is on the show, because we can't put everybody on one show".

So Alton Ellis is the headliner, Blakka the joker, Hortense no longer around, just who are the other members of the Ellis clan on the cast?

There is Aston, Alton's nephew who is also a songwriter/arranger who has his own band, Robanic Reggae based in New York. He also plays the steel pan as well as the bass guitar.

Then there are Neville "Junior" Ellis (another of Alton's nephew) in Florida with his own band also; Alton's first son, Noel Ellis who is making a name for himself in Toronto, Canada with a current CD then there is Ity and Fancy Cat, the comic duo who everybody in Jamaica knows by now; Michelle, Hortense's daughter who like her mother, has been described as a "fantastic singer"; Aston's son Shadedda who is Alton's grand-nephew who according to reports, is making waves in Montreal, Canada singing reggae in English and French.

"They are the only the ones who are established, but there are dozens of others with the talent but have not yet been given a chance to bus," Blakka said.

"My brothers Aston, Ian, Neville and myself are Alton's nephews, my father Leslie's children. Leslie used to be a member of Alton and the Flames. He is featured on the hit song, Girl I've Got A Date and it was he who wrote the song, Brown Eyes, but because of a dispute it was given to the Black Brothers," he said while adding, "on this show we're going to have Alton and Leslie sing that song just for the sentiment of it."

ELLIS INTERNATIONAL

Outlining the role of Ellis International, Blakka Ellis stated that the company, which has three directors, aims to make a difference not only by investing in the arts but in corporate world as well.

"Since July Ellis International has been launched with the aim of investing in the arts. The company is owned by three of us as directors, Ian Ellis, and Aston my brother in New York and me. But we see ourselves as just starting this thing, but will be opened to anybody else in the family who wants to get involved," Blakka Ellis pointed out.

"Our family," he continued, "has a history in the arts. We really want to make a difference in the industry because it's our fervent belief that there can be a family business without the name being Chin or Ashenheim.... we respect them (the Chins and Ashenheims) for what they have done, but I personally have a serious commitment to do my part to see that black people own something. We're not just workers, we too can be owners."

FIRST PROJECT

The first project undertaken by the company with offices in Kingston and New York was the play Tings A Gwaan.

"The first thing we've done as a company was to produce the play Tings A Gwaan. We opened on May 7 without any sponsorship. Me and Ian (Ity) literally took our children's school fee money to invest in it. Honestly it has been challenging...yet we've covered all the expenses, we've paid our staff more than all the other producers pay, we've paid off all our debts without recording a loss. That tells us that we're on to a good thing and it can get better," Blakka said.

The actor who not long ago was responsible for the staging of Laugh Jamaica told the Observer that "that is what we really want, to invest our energies, talents and resources producing theatre, music, dances, the whole works. And we've a list of planned events to come on stream.

Among the list of ambitious ventures Ellis International will be tackling is the establishment of a scholarship in honour of Hortense Ellis tenable at the School of Music for female students, Jamaica's first comedy festival in late June/early July of next year as well as the production of music.

"Most importantly we want to start producing music," Blakka said. "We already have a demo CD with a young group called Jah Children Performance Poetry and we want to look at also creating an outlet for young talents from the inner-city, from rural Jamaica who would not otherwise get a chance to bus at the brand name studios," said the actor who was involved in the first RE TV Crack Up series at Backyaad in February of this year.

He disclosed also that his company is presently in negotiations to ensure, even if not exclusive, the right to market his uncle's (Alton Ellis) image and works before somebody else does it.

"Alton has already given us permission to use any of his works freely," Blakka Ellis said.

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