Smile Jamaica-your children are finally the ones telling your stories

Music is an indelible part of my existence. Whether I am in my bedroom, my car, taking a walk, in the shower or going to bed at night, I always have something playing, sometimes it's only in my head but it's there nonetheless. Today I was feeling for some Chronixx and as the album Chronology played and landed on track 6 it pulled me in, in a way it never has before. This track is called Smile Jamaica. It refers to Jamaica as a girl who has gone through many ups and downs, disappointments, pain and joy and through all of it she is encouraged to smile.

Undoubtedly this put a smile on my face (yup pun intended). I have a love for my homeland Jamaica that cannot be compared to anything else I feel. Like with any relationship it isn’t perfect. My brothers and sisters, neighbours, friends and co-workers can make the existence and the experience very challenging sometimes, but the relationship that Jamaica and I have cannot be shaken. I always want to do everything I can to uplift and elevate her. Exposing the greatness that she is, the beauty that only exists within her loins, the appendages that come in the form of flora and fauna, the easy flowing of her rivers and seas, the softness of her sand under my feet as I walk along the beach and the loudness of the silence when I take a hike on her mountain peaks.

It is because of this passionate love that I have for her why I couldn’t say no to the current project I am a part of. In late February I was introduced to the Jamaica Heroes Modernized project. The aim is to aggregate and centralize the stories of our National Heroes in a single body of work. This is taking the form of vibrant true to life paintings of all seven National heroes, a ten episode docuseries highlighting their lives and contributions to Jamaica from emancipation to independence and print collateral destined to be used in our primary and secondary schools across the island. 

Being given the opportunity to share my favourite girls legacy (my daughter won't be jealous, she understands) through the eyes of my brothers and sisters is a joy I can't even truly express in words. We are going to be talking about our homeland, our yaad and our heroes and telling our stories through our lenses. I don’t think at this stage of my life and career as a storyteller I could have asked for more.

So if you're in love with her like I am, want to see the best of her exposed on the world stage, covering our history, our people, our heroes, our heroine, our stories then join me on this journey. Click the image below and support our crowdfunding campaign in whatever way you can. 

The music of Chronixx may not have moved you like it did me, but I know once you are a Jamaican something about our “USness” moves you. Doesn't matter where you live across the globe; once a Jamaican, always a Jamaican. You know exactly what I am talking about! That Jamaican-ness, that pride, that feeling, that joy, that THING, yeah you feeling it right now. Click the image and let's do this like only true Jamaicans can, together.