St Ann’s Bay, St Ann – Plans are in high gear for the staging of the St Ann Emancipation Jubilee 2004 at the Seville Heritage Park in St Ann’s Bay.

The event is scheduled to begin at 8:00 pm on Saturday, July 31 and run through to Emancipation morning on Sunday, August 1. It will highlight the country’s traditional culture and it is expected to attract some 7,000 locals as well as visitors to the island.

Seville Heritage Park operations manager Joan Seagears told JIS News that those attending the show would be treated to high-quality entertainment from performers such as internationally acclaimed reggae artiste Alton Ellis, Unique Vision band, the Stella Maris Dance Ensemble, Kingston Drummers, Manchioneal Cultural Group, Marcus Garvey Jonkonnu, the Port Morant Kumina group, among others.

She said the event would serve to capture the spirit of that 1838 day, with the reading of the Emancipation proclamation at midnight. “Jubilation, fun and excitement (will follow) with lots of eating and drinking, and we will have things on sale such as ackee and salt fish, roast breadfruit, roast yam, dunkunoo, asham, name it!” she said.

Hot mugs of chocolate will be provided throughout the night and there will be a prize for the person with the oldest enamel mug and the best cultural outfit. The cost for entering the show is $600 pre-sold and $700 at the gate, while children will pay $200.

“It is hoped that through this celebration, we will focus on leaders in the past who became, in their lifetime and after, a symbol of unity and strength,” Seagears said. “And it is expected that this celebration will be seen as a positive step in the understanding and acceptance of the many fascinating things about our heritage.”

She added: “It is anticipated that this celebration will educate all Jamaicans and visitors to the realisation that when the Africans were imported to Jamaica and the new world, they brought with them much more than their ability to labour.

They brought with them their culture, and this culture embraced all aspects of their lifestyle such as language, religious beliefs, food, and music, which we will celebrate on July 31.”

On August 1, the Emancipation Jubilee will extend into a food fair which will also feature cultural presentations.