In recent years the parish of St Elizabeth has seen an uptick of entertainment events catering to a wide cross section of patrons.

The passage of Hurricane Melissa earlier this week, however, dealt a severe blow to residents, many of whom lost the roofs to their houses, livestock, crops, and personal possessions.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer at the launch of the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival, Floyd Green, Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth South Western, highlighted what he described as an entertainment culture within the parish.

“It has always been a part of my vision to look at the assets that St Elizabeth has and to use those assets to drive the economy. Black River [the capital] has a great history [and] a lot of tourism sites that a lot of people don’t recognise that are in close proximity to each other. We have an entertainment culture in St Elizabeth,” said Green, who is also the minister of agriculture, fisheries and mining.

However, following the devastating effects of Hurricane Melissa, industry insiders believe the damage sustained will have a significant effect on the entertainment product within the parish.

Andrew Ellis, CEO of Twenty14 Jamaica Limited and co-director of popular party series Sandz, told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday: “St Elizabeth has really emerged as one of the most promising new destinations for entertainment and events in Jamaica. We hosted Sandz in Black River just two weeks ago, which was our second staging there, and the response was definitely encouraging. Over the past year we’ve seen a number of Kingston-based promoters investing in the parish, helping to build back the vibe after Beryl and positioning St Elizabeth as a true entertainment hub.”

He continued: “That’s why the impact of Hurricane Melissa is particularly disheartening. The damage has set the area back significantly at a time when real momentum was building, not just for events, but for tourism and small business activity overall. We’re currently assessing the situation and exploring ways that Twenty14 and our partners can support the community’s recovery. Last year we stepped in to assist after Beryl, and we’re prepared to do even more this time around, both through direct support and with help from our diaspora network.”

The CEO shared that his company is committed to assisting in the rebuilding of the sector.

“Our focus now is on helping St Elizabeth and the wider western region rebound stronger. The spirit of the people there is resilient, and we remain committed to playing our part in restoring that energy and optimism.”

One of the eagerly anticipated events in the parish is the inaugural Treasure Beach Food, Rum, and Reggae (TBFRR) Festival, which was scheduled for November 7-9.

Festival Co-director Gregory Wright told the Jamaica Observer that, in light of the passage of Hurricane Melissa, “the festival may not happen next week”.

Fyah Jav, one of St Elizabeth’s most in-demand DJs, is expecting a strong downturn of entertainment activities in the parish for the near future.

“Hurricane Melissa has affected the entertainment industry in St Elizabeth in a harsh way because most events that were planned had to be cancelled days before it made landfall, and as a result most of these promoters are counting their losses,” said Fyah Jav.

A resident of Top Hill just outside of Junction in the parish, Fyah Jav has been playing music professionally since 2014.

He shared some of the recent entertainment events held in the parish.

“The most recent events that were held in St Elizabeth include I Love Soca, Sandz, Exclusive, and Cash Wednesdays in Junction. Bricks Thursdays is another weekly event, which will resume this week,” said Fyah Jav, who recently added I Love Soca event to his credentials.

ELLIS…the damage has set the area back significantly at a time when real momentum was building, not just for events but for tourism and small business activity overall.

Fyah Jav.

Gregory Wright, co-director, TBFRR FestivalRory Daley