As Jamaica celebrates 63 years of Independence on Wednesday, August 6, the annual Grand Gala will be held under the theme ‘Be Proud, Be Bold, in Black, Green and Gold’.

The event, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport through the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), will involve some 2,500 participants, including several uniformed groups and dancers.

“[They] have been trained over the last few weeks to participate, drawn from communities in Kingston and St Andrew and the plains of St Catherine, colourful costumes and very powerful and patriotic messages being conveyed through their performances,” portfolio minister Olivia Grange said.

Michael Holgate will serve as artistic director for the show, which will also feature a special highlight section on the inscription of Port Royal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“We’re going to have a fantastic segment on the inscription of the sunken city of Port Royal which will be dramatised… that experience of the earthquake and the rich history of Port Royal, which was once called the ‘wickedest city on Earth’,” she noted.

Segments of the Grand Gala will also celebrate reggae music, most notably with the presentation of this year’s Reggae Icon award recipients.

“We will be recognising three of our outstanding, internationally established reggae artistes — Leroy Sibbles, Capleton, and Beres Hammond. They will be given the Reggae Icon award by the prime minister,” Minister Grange informed. “You know that a celebration cannot be complete without gospel. So, there’s a gospel segment, which will feature Kevin Downswell, Petra Kaye and Rondell Positive, and that is expected to be quite a very exciting segment… and, of course, we will wrap the celebrations with a fantastic reggae concert with Luciano and Chris Martin, and we will also have fireworks, not just in the National Stadium, but also in the parish capitals so this year is going to be bigger and better.”

A favourite of the Grand Gala celebrations, the drone show, will also make a return at this year’s event.

“Jamaicans must be thankful for this little rock of ours that we have achieved so much, and in good times and in bad times we have been able to rally people, and no matter what, we always celebrate Jamaica,” Grange added.

Meanwhile, attendees are being urged not to take personal drones or vuvuzela horns to the Independence Grand Gala.

Also prohibited are drones, as they can cause interference with the planned drone show for the event.

“Your drone and your vuvuzela will interfere with the production, [and] you run the risk of those items being taken from you, so don’t take them to the stadium,” Grange said.

The gates of the National Stadium will open to the public at 3:00 pm with the Grand Gala set to begin at 6:00 pm.

“We want to encourage folks to come early and those who come and can’t get in by the time the Gala starts, we have provided a facility for you. We have a watch party [with] big screens, and you can, in fact, go in the Independence Village and watch the activities in the stadium from the village and enjoy the show and the fireworks,” she added.

A previous Grand Gala drone show. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)