Nikki Barbar

On January 2, 2010, the lawns of Jamaica House will come alive as international reggae star Shaggy and his friends hit the stage in performances to benefit the users of the Bustamante Hospital for Children.

Several elements go into the production of such a show, but, do you know that many of the people behind the scenes are women? Flair spoke to three of them about how they are involved.

It's good to have a friend like Nikki Barbar. If you need her help, and she's able to lend a hand, you can count on her. So it was when recording artiste and friend, Shaggy called her up last year to talk about the first staging of what is now slated to be an annual event to benefit the Bustamante Hospital for Children.

"Shaggy called me last year and I didn't hesitate," she told Flair of her initial involvement with the project. "We have been friends for a number of years and when he explained it, because of the type of person I knew he was, it was a win-win situation."

Barbar is responsible for all the print work associated with the show - flyers, posters ... if it's print, it's her job.

Why does she do it? It's her way of giving back to her country. It's a way of helping the children of Bustamante Hospital for Children and, of course, working with her friends. Working on a show of the magnitude of Shaggy and Friends is not without challenges. "Trying to let everybody see it the way we do, bringing corporate Jamaica together, some of whom are competitors, for one goal (is a challenge)."

Transparency

But this shouldn't be difficult because everyone knows the cause and, as Barbar said, "it's very transparent. Seventy-one pieces of equipment were bought, 71 pieces of equipment are handed over."

As the managing director of Phoenix Printery, the Christmas season, which is busiest time of the year for her business, is also when promotion for the show hits its peak. So, it's all about time management and multi-tasking.

"I have a three-year-old, I have a family and I have my friends. It's worth it to find the time to make a difference. It gives me a feeling of fulfilment at the end of the night on January 2."