The 10th Jamaica’s Best School Band (JBSB) was launched at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts on Monday, with eight contestants confirmed for the milestone season.

On March 16 the schools will participate in the first preliminary round at Pembroke Hall High School in Kingston.

The contestants have been divided into two groups. Group I: Pembroke Hall High School, Papine High School, St Mary High School, and St Thomas Technical High School. Group II comprises Belair High School, May Day High School, Ferncourt High School, and Lennon High School.

Pembroke Hall won the inaugural competition in 2014, while St Mary High, St Thomas Technical, May Day High, Ferncourt, and Lennon are newcomers.

Rayven Amani, founder of the JBSB, said St Catherine High and Alpha Institute, winners in 2016 and 2019, are absent this year due to restructuring of their music programmes.

Amani told the Jamaica Observer that the 2023 season, which ends April 23, will see organisers expanding their outreach.

“One of the main differences with this year’s competition is that we will putting some focus on our audiovisual production, getting the competition on multiple platforms, so more people can become aware of it,” she told the Observer.

She noted that while there has “been a steady increase in entrants over the years”, music departments across the country have struggled to fund their programmes, especially since the pandemic.

Anthony Graham, principal of Home Time Cable, one of the event’s sponsors, called on companies to support the contest and these programmes which have produced singers and musicians who have gone on to work with Buju Banton, Etana, Romain Virgo, Lila Ike, and Koffee.

Pembroke Hall High and Alpha Institute have performed on Rebel Salute and Reggae Sumfest stages.

Ewan Simpson, chairman of the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association, urged corporate and political stakeholders to recognise Jamaican music as a multimillion-dollar industry. He said the days when people went into music as an alternative career are long gone.

The launch was attended by stalwart musicians such as bassist Lloyd Parks and saxophonist Dean Fraser, as well as producer/songwriter Mikey Bennett.

Winners and runners-up in the JBSB have received cash prizes and instruments donated by companies and musicians.