Krista Henry, Gleaner Writer

Fitzroy Bennett - Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer

Creating a stage for live music seven days a week, Live Music Nation is aiming to make Jamaica the world's capital for live-music entertainment.

In recent years, live music in Jamaica has often taken a back seat to recorded dancehall and reggae, blasted over sound systems. Cries of a lack of venues, funding and attention to live music have been shouted near and far for years.

Now, through the efforts of Griot Music, Live Music Nation hopes to create a medium for live music and musicians. According to Jodi Ho Lung, vice-president of marketing for Griot Music, Live Music Nation intends to provide Jamaicans with another form of night-time entertainment.

"Currently there are four nights of live music; our goal is to have live music seven nights a week in and around Kingston. We eventually want to make Jamaica the live-music capital all across the world," Ho Lung explained.

live music

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Live Music Nation invades Christopher's Jazz Café at The Quad; on Fridays, live music can be heard at the Village Blues Bar on Barbican Road, and on Saturday night there is also a live-music event at Heather's Garden Restaurant in New Kingston. Thursday is dubbed 'singers' night, with Tuesday and Saturday being reserved for jazz music and Friday has a little bit of everything.

Each night a sole performer takes the spotlight in three 45-minute sets, giving upcoming and established artistes time to truly showcase their skills. "We try to make available a space for a musician who otherwise might be stuck just performing for hotels or at corporate functions," Ho Lung elaborated. Thus far artistes such as Serestse Small, the rock band, Gas Money, Cassie Brown, Dennis Rushton, Mario Evon and Fitzroy Bennett are among those who have performed.

large turnout

Live music at Christopher's has been a staple for the last three years and attracts a large turnout. However, according to Ho Lung, having officially started the Live Music Nation programme in August, the other venues are still trying to gain crowd support. Once the Live Music Nation becomes well established in Kingston, Griot Music has plans to expand across the island, eventually carrying the model worldwide.

Live Music Nation recently received official endorsement from the Jamaica Tourist Board. Ho Lung explains that this will open countless doors for the programme, where they would get promotion as well as access to a new market in terms of visitors to the island.

She said, "The Live Music Nation can transform the tourist product in Jamaica, change the way we think about entertainment in Jamaica. Seven nights a week of live music around Kingston will revolutionise the urban tourism product from a daytime destination to a live-music haven."

Griot Music is looking to find a venue for Wednesday nights, which would be the rock/alternative night. They have also been approached by two venues in Mandeville that are looking to bring live music to the mid-island.

Seretse Small, one of the performers on 'Live Music Nation'. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer