KIMONE McKenzie has been living in the St Andrew community of Cooreville Gardens for over a year.

Upon moving to the community, she noticed that its streets are named for famous Jamaican entertainers.

“I used to wonder why the streets are named after artistes — if the scheme was built by them or for them,” she told Auto during a recent visit to the neighbourhood.

According to McKenzie, her friends are just as puzzled. She said she is familiar with Bob Marley and Ken Boothe, but has no knowledge of the other artistes and musicians and why they are honoured.

Nicola Francis has lived in Cooreville Gardens for over 33 years and had not noticed the streets were named after artistes.

Edith Dalton James High School student Roje Wilson, like Kimone McKenzie, is familiar with Bob Marley, but clueless about the rest of performers.

“I just walk and work with it,” he said, shrugging.

Cooreville Gardens, located off Washington Boulevard, was named for David Coore, Jamaica’s deputy prime minister and minister of finance in the 1970s.

Derrick Heaven, who was working with minister of housing Anthony Spaulding at the time, said the streets were named for artistes in recognition of their contribution in music and the theatre.

Mystic Mews, Miss Lou Close, Wailers Avenue, Bob Marley Boulevard, Gaylads Circle, Sonny Bradshaw Avenue, Paragons Close and Maytals Crescent are just some the locations in Cooreville Gardens.

For Peter Ellis, this is just reward for entertainers. His only criticism is that the signs need to be repainted.

“The place needs to be upgraded,” said Ellis.

Though some youth in Cooreville are ignorant to the achievements of artistes they ‘walk’ with every day, Derrick Heaven is heartened by the fact that there is a resurgence in interest for music from the 1960s.

“Younger persons are paying close attention to music of the past and artistes may have something to learn from this,” he said. “They (artistes) need to see why people are reverting to their music rather than rushing toward the current music.”