Jamaica’s booth at the Worldwide Music Expo (WOMEX 2022) now under way in Lisbon, Portugal, has been a beehive of activity with many booking agencies anxious to meet the island’s artistes in attendance and connect with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Jamaica Observer learnt on Saturday.

The Jamaican contingent include Miss World 2019 Toni-Ann Singh, a classically trained singer; musician Jamila Falak; singer Naomi Cowan; and veteran reggae artiste Abijah.

” I wanted to provide opportunities to more of our creatives, particularly young female artistes, to connect with the global music fraternity offered by WOMEX,” Culture Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange revealed on Saturday, adding that she organised the delegation after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) invited the ministry to send two representatives to the October 19-24 expo all expenses paid.

Grange said she positioned a mixture of upcoming artistes, veterans and cultural administrators to maximise the benefits to be derived from the vast networking and skills development opportunity that WOMEX offers and for knowledge sharing on the part of Jamaica’s talent and experts.

Knowledge sharing for the wider industry, she emphasised, will be an added feature on their return.

“As we push the reset button for the Jamaican music industry after two years of COVID lockdown, my ministry is determined to engage the global industry strategically to ensure that opportunities are created for our musicians, performers, artistes and practitioners, given the many new dynamics at play in the industry,” Grange said. “There is much to anticipate going forward, and my ministry is using WOMEX as a vehicle for the development of the artistic and creative sector. I really would like to express my own gratitude to the team for responding to the call to participate and take Jamaica to the world.”

Noting that Jamaica had participated in WOMEX 2019 in Finland, Grange said the delegation in Portugal also includes David Brown, the island’s point man on the European Union/UNESCO Technical Expert Project and UNESCO global facilitator for the 2003 Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage; Enid Harrow, professional backup singer, production assistant, and former road manager to artistes such as Ken Boothe and Lady Patra; Entertainment Manager Judith Bodley; and Sydney Bartley, advisor to the National Council on Reparation and former permanent secretary in the culture ministry.

Bartley, who is a veteran of the WOMEX circuit and a framer of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, serves chiefly as co-ordinator and liaison for the delegation.

Bartley, Grange explained, has also been tasked with exploring with representatives from Africa, opportunities for Jamaica’s creative sector including tours for entertainers, merchandising and cultural exchanges. He is also providing expert, technical input in select engagements.

WOMEX is described as the most international and culturally diverse space for the meeting of veteran and upcoming minds in the global music industry. It features a trade fair, talks, films and concerts. This year’s event has attracted artistes, record labels, music festivals, and musicians from more than 90 countries.

Grange said that leading up to the departure of the contingent on October 6, the organisers of WOMEX and UNESCO held a virtual, day-long information session for the Jamaican participants chaired by Christine Semba, director of consultancy and special projects at WOMEX.

Semba discussed the schedule of activities including workshops, exchange sessions, performance times and venues and encouraged the Jamaican artistes to participate in daily one-on-one mentoring sessions that were planned to develop their capacities in navigating the global music industry.

Grange attended and participated in the information session in her capacity as chair of the Jamaica National Commission for UNESCO.