Jamaicans will collect on the historic Seville Nice Home and Heritage Park in St. Ann’s Bay on Thursday, July 31, for the twenty ninth annual Emancipation Vigil — a serious cultural occasion honouring the nation’s African ancestors and commemorating the abolition of slavery.
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The all-night celebration, organised by the Jamaica Nationwide Heritage Belief (JNHT), begins at 8:00 p.m. on July 31 and runs by way of to six:00 a.m. on Emancipation Day, August 1.
Minister of Tradition, Gender, Leisure and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, underscored the significance of the vigil throughout a current JIS Suppose Tank, noting it marks “the anniversary of our emancipation from slavery.”
“So, on July 31, everyone heads to the Seville Heritage Park the place the 4 cultures meet – the Taino, the African, the Spanish and the English,” she mentioned.
A packed programme of cultural performances is predicted to energise the in a single day crowd. Headliners embody Gem Myers, The Abyssinians, Duane Stephenson, Peter Metro, Main Mackerel, Admiral Bailey, George Nooks, Rhoda Isabella, Kukudoo, Unity Singers, Sista Patt, Lubert Levy, and extra. There will even be conventional showcases by the Kaya Junkunnu Band, the Charles City Maroons, and the Akwaba Drummers.
“We’ve got expertise from everywhere in the island. We’ve got performers, we’ve got non secular teams and in style artistes. The Nationwide Council on Reparations could have a sales space with a show and storyboards that talk to the expertise of ancestors once they had been enslaved,” Minister Grange mentioned.
She added that music, dance, drumming, drama, meals and trend will proceed all evening into “Augus mawning.”
A signature function of the occasion is the free chocolate tea served to patrons all through the evening. “The chocolate tea is a function and individuals are inspired to convey your mugs. Generally, the mug with probably the most chips will win a prize. So, we wish everybody to be there. In actual fact, folks come from abroad simply to be part of this glorious celebration,” the minister mentioned.
Admission is free, however tickets are required for entry. These might be collected on the JNHT workplace in downtown Kingston, the Seville Heritage Park in St. Ann’s Bay, or on the gate on the evening of the occasion.
For these unable to attend in individual, the occasion will likely be streamed stay on the social media pages of the Ministry of Tradition, Gender, Leisure and Sport, the Jamaica Cultural Improvement Fee (JCDC), and the JNHT.
