KINGSTON, Jamaica — When Angie Shakira Martínez Tejera, the Dominican Republic Ambassador to Jamaica took office some four years ago, she embarked on a mission to unite both Caribbean nations through music.

Dubbing her initiative a labour of love, Tejera sought to bridge the gap between her Spanish-speaking country and Jamaica by getting artistes from both countries to collaborate on several musical projects.

Today, that vision has birthed the United by Music project which has produced some 60 original tracks.

“This is not just an event, it’s a celebration of what can be achieved when two nations, two cultures and countless parts come together in the spirit of beauty, gratuity and collaboration.

Today marks the culmination of a journey that will inspire continents, connect people and amplify the rich cultural legacies of the Dominican Republic and Jamaica,” she said.

“Over the past 60 years of diplomatic relations, we have shared countless moments of courage and mutual respect. I am very proud of what we have achieved. Through this initiative, we are connecting people. We are connecting Jamaica and the Dominican Republic through the power of the music, the universal language of music,” she continued.

Tejera was speaking at the initiative’s recent official launch at the Legacy Suite inside the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.

In attendance at the event were several of the artistes and producers integral to the project including reggae artiste Jesse Royal, acclaimed Dominican filmmaker Iván Herrera, multi-Grammy-winning producer Carlos Ariel Peralta, better known as Maffio, and former Miss Grand Jamaica Kadejah Anderson, now known by her stage name Annalea X.

“I have been an admirer since I was a baby girl. My father taught me to love this culture. I have been listening to Bob Marley since I was little. I inherited the love for the music and so I knew we had to do something with the music,” said Tejera as she continued to gush about the project.

“Music as we know, has the power to transcend borders, build bridges and ignite emotions. It speaks to the soul and through this initiative; we have become the heartbeat of a bond between two countries that is stronger than ever,” she added.

The music from the project is slated to officially hit the airwaves in 2025 and collaborators are excited about what the songs will do. For Jesse Royal, in particular, he hopes the initiative will go a long way in making the Caribbean a stronger musical force.

“This project like Angie said was born out of love so we didn’t even think about what would be our next move but I just want to highlight the bridge that has already been created. We are entertaining the idea of the Caribbean being a united front.I tour the world a lot and one thing I have learnt is that Minnesota may not be strong but the United States of America together is. When they stand as one you have to speak to Minnesota the same way you speak to California, the same way you speak to New York. I think one of the problems that we have in the Caribbean is that we continue to isolate our populations and not figure out ways how to harness the huge community that we have,” said Royal.

“So for me, this project is also a way for Jesse Royal to be played in a regular party in the Dom Rep and likewise I would love to see Vakeró, Maffio being played in Jamaica like regular songs because we just don’t have enough people to compete if we isolate so if we can figure out more ways to collaborate and bring the Caribbean together and unify audiences, that would be great,” Royal continued.

The launch also served as a platform to introduce several of the songs. Audience members got a chance to preview the music which they responded to with a resounding round of applause. They also got to experience four music videos, three of which were shot on location in Jamaica.

Aside from Annalea X and Jesse Royal, the project also includes the musical stylings of the legendary Cutty Ranks, Don Pree and Conkarah as well Dominican artistes, Mozart La Para, Melymel, Vakeró, Sherny 911, Rosaly Rubio and Musicólogo.

The project also benefitted from the contributions of renowned producer, Dominic McDonald better known as Troublemekka as well as Dominican producers Bryan Dotel, Carlos Ojeda, and Ronny García (Peke).