Jamaica Awareness, Inc., is recognized as a vital and integral part of the cultural bridge between Caribbean and non-Caribbean populations and artists in South Florida. Each year the organization presents programs that place special emphasis on uniting and presenting the cultures of the Caribbean and African Diaspora to the general multi-ethnic population of South Florida.
As a presenter of Caribbean dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, the company has produced and presented its projects in tandem with the development of South Florida's Caribbean community, and is South Florida's primary presenter of Caribbean culture.
Jamaica Awareness, Inc. was formed in 1984 to stage the Jamaica Awareness Reggae Festival, celebrating Jamaica's independence. As a result of the overwhelming success of the event, the organization was incorporated in 1985 with the intent to produce the festival annually.
During that period of infancy, the festival only featured Florida-based reggae performers, a number of whom were unemployed as reggae's popularity with mainstream America was just developing, and the small growing Caribbean community was the only outlet for these musicians. The overwhelming public support that followed in the next few years demonstrated that the popularity of reggae music was on the increase, as it crossed cultural lines in Florida and mainstream America. Reggae is now a dominant music form that has impacted today's popular music.
Working jointly with the Caribbean Bar Association, the organization embarked on a "Citizenship Drive" in 1990, encouraging and assisting as many Caribbean nationals, who were eligible, to apply for U.S. citizenship. This was very important, as it expanded our community involvement and expanded our contribution to the cultural growth of our new home. Today, our "Citizenship Drives" continue in partnership with several other cultural and civic organizations. Celebration 500 was launched in 1992 - to focus on the survival of African culture in the New World, a response to Christopher Columbus' Quincentennial Celebrations. It was also a vehicle to launch the expansion of our annual activities into a multi-event program. As a result of its success, "Celebration 500" became the basic outline for our annual program.
The "Celebration Performance Series" has grown considerably in its thirteen years of existence, expanding from a one-weekend activity to the five events encompassing performance/symposia/exhibition dates. Last year, this event brought 60 professional performers and 10 cultural academians/historians to South Floridain an array of Caribbean-centered performances and exhibitions. More than 70,000 citizens participated in these activities, some of them free.
These events featured some of the best artists, historians and educators from Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, French Guyana, The Cayman Islands, Haiti and Miami together in a variety of roles. This year we are happy to present some of the best in their field such as Oliver Samuels, Alton Ellis, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, Blue Glades Mento Band and Professor Rex Nettleford to name a few. Special mention must be made of the 50 children, all winners in various festival competitions, taking part in the colorful and exciting Culturama.
In addition to Culturama, other events of the Celebration series include The Caribbean Dance Celebration, Ras Noah and the Hawk, the Jamaican Jerk Festival and the Michael Manley Lecture and Symposium.
We are pleased to announce our collaboration with Family Reggae Festivals, Inc. on the newly expanded South Florida Family Reggae Festival (formerly known as the Miami Reggae Festival). For 21 years, the Miami Reggae Festival was presented as a celebration of Jamaican Independence Day. We are now enhancing the scope of the Miami Reggae Festival by expanding it to include the unique, multicultural format of Family Reggae Festivals, Inc. From this year forward, the event will be held on the last Sunday of October and be known as the South Florida Family Reggae Festival, jointly produced by Jamaica Awareness, Inc. and Family Reggae Festivals, Inc.
Jamaica Awareness, Inc. programs are presented with the generous support of Air Jamaica, Western Union, the Florida State Department of Cultural Affairs, Southern Arts Federation, The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, The Tourist Development Council, The Jamaica tourist Board, Grace Foods International, Miami Dance Futures and the New World School of the Arts Dance Division.
