Dear Editor,

On behalf of the Dennis Brown Trust, Jamaica Reggae Industry Association and Sounds & Pressure, I wish to thank Mayor Desmond McKenzie and the KSAC, Minister Babsy Grange and her staff, Superintendent Carnel Messam and other officers from the Central Police Station, Superintendent Cornwall “Bigga” Ford, all the artistes who performed for free, Lloyd Parkes and We The People Band, Witty Henry and Soultone Sound System, sponsors from the music industry, Grizzly’s and the technical crews, Ian Porteous, the people of Big Yard, the vendors, the media, and the people of downtown Kingston and surrounding communities who participated in the tribute held on January 31 in memory of Dennis Brown.

Judging from the numerous phone calls and compliments in the streets, the event, produced as a festival, was a success. It’s our intention to have this as an annual event on the first Sunday in February, and most important, to develop Orange Street and downtown Kingston into a musical heritage destination that will attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world, akin to Bourbon Street in the French Quarters of New Orleans, and 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan and 135th Street in Harlem, and the musical historical sites of New York City. At our tribute, there were Jamaicans from all walks of life and visitors from several other countries who had no fear of going downtown at night to celebrate the great contribution that the Crown Prince of Reggae, Dennis Emmanuel Brown, has made to Jamaican music and culture.

Jamaica has enormous potential to elevate itself out of poverty, dependency and a third-class category, and its musical heritage, particularly reggae, is a catalyst for this development. What we require is working together in peace, love, harmony and unity to provide hope and opportunities, and pursue common objectives for success for Jamaica and all its citizens. A special compliment must be paid to my friends and partners in this venture, the heads of production Junior Lincoln and Trevor “Leggo” Douglas.

Julian “Jingles” Reynolds

Chairman Sounds & Pressure

125 Orange Street

Kingston

sounds_pressure@yahoo.com