Black Immigrant Daily News

Carnival in Jamaica will have a new truck – and band – on de road for 2023.

The team that brought Miami GenX Carnival is gearing up to make a Rock landing with a debut on April 16, 2023, alongside existing bands Xodus and Bacchanal Jamaica.

GenXS is set to reveal the 2023 costumes at a Kingston band launch in December.

The costumes are inspired by the band’s “Return To Paradise” theme and will be produced by a cadre of industry-leading carnival designers.

Plus, the organisers are already promising a high-energy f?te with celebrity models, dancers, local and international influencers, and the latest tracks by worldwide Soca deejays.

Tagyei Belinfante, of GenXS Carnival and GenX (Miami) Carnival, explains that he saw a need to bring a new offering to the Jamaican Carnival space that was hyper-focused on curating and delivering the best Carnival experiences based on what he had seen in other territories.

“As a band owner and carnival chaser, I can appreciate the Carnival experience as a consumer and as the person curating the experience. I am also very passionate on building and contributing to the Carnival in Jamaica product and showcasing what makes our (Jamaica) Carnival destination special”, Belinfante shared in a release.

The theme ‘Return to Paradise’ has multiple meanings; in addition to a celebration of all things Jamaican and everything people love about Jamaica, the theme also speaks to the GenXS founders – Tagyei Belinfante, Marc Christian, Matthew Wadell, and Ajene Greene – all Jamaicans who migrated to the US after high school and are now returning home, where their love of carnival began.

Collectively, the GenXS team has a cumulative experience of over 50 years in event production, customer service, logistics, and planning.

The GenXS team has a steady track record of successful local and international events such as Dandy Shandy (the bi-annual 90s dancehall-themed party hosted in Miami, Florida), GenX Immortals J’Ouvert, GenX Carnival (one of Miami’s largest and most popular carnival band), Miami’s Tipsy Music Festival (which recently hosted Machel Montano and Burna Boy), and OceanX Cruise (yacht event).

The GenXS team has retained Kibwe McGann of Carnival Glam Hub and WiPay; Project Manager/Carnival consultant Mala Morrison, and Project Manager/Media Professional, Kino Johnson.

“As one of the founders of Carnival Glam Hub which operates in five Carnival markets, I have a unique perspective in understanding the minds of the carnival consumer at both the high and lower ends of the market. The GenXS Team is masquerade-focused on delivering an experience that is devoid of cookie-cutter basic offerings that plague many destination carnivals. I have played mas with GenX Miami for the past three years and I am confident in this team’s abilityTo deliver on our band-and-brand promise.” – Kibwe McGann, GenXS Sponsorship and Marketing Director

I have been blessed with the opportunity to work in the Carnival space and actively participate in various Carnivals throughout the region. The introduction of the GenXS Band to Jamaica will provide an additional offering for both local and international carnival chasers to experience a well-curated experience.” – Mala Morrison, GenXS (events and logistics)Director.

“In addition to Sunday Mas, party and f?te chasers can expect a new J’Ouvert band, a night carnival, and other immersive events. Guided by experience, and high on our checklist is the provision of a seamless tech-driven registration and costume collection process which will be enhanced by our delivery partners. We’re also promising a restaurant-like lunch experience that complimented premium alcohol road offerings and heightened road security. We want patrons to walk away saying ‘this is the band’. – Matthew Waddell, GenXS

The GenXS team is desirous of adding value to Carnival in Jamaica and Jamaica’s overall offering as a Carnival destination.

‘Return to Paradise’ is part of the band’s communication of intent to spread value beyond the borders of Kingston, and will include events outside of Kingston.

“Having participated as a masquerader in several destination Carnivals, I can say that in most of them, I was never given the opportunity to experience their island or destinations outside of the offerings of my f?te package. As a Jamaican, I am keen on ensuring that masqueraders have an opportunity to experience our island paradise, too. GenXS will offer XS-perience packages as an option, in partnership with local tour operators, craft markets, and a few North Coast travel destinations, where they can expect a culturally immersive and authentic Jamaicancarnival experience.” – Marc Christian, GenXS

GenXS is Jamaica’s newest Carnival with ties to GenX Miami Carnival. The band showcase will be presented on Sunday, April 16, 2023 as part of Carnival in Jamaica’s road march parade.

Masqueraders can visit www.thereturntoparadise.com for preregistration or follow on Instagram and Facebook for more information.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Caribbean Affairs and Haiti, Barbara Feinstein joined the Government of Jamaica in opening two new child-friendly spaces as part of US$6.7 million in US foreign assistance supporting the US – Jamaica Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnership.

With these new additions in Kingston and Montego Bay, there are now three child-friendly spaces open across the country, where child crime victims can be heard and receive justice.

All are designed with children’s needs in mind, offering a warm, welcoming environment for child crime victims, including for conducting interviews and providing assistance to child victims of human trafficking.

The United States and Jamaica signed the CPC Partnership in 2018; it outlines a four-year plan developed jointly to build on Jamaica’s existing efforts to prosecute and punish perpetrators of child trafficking, identify child trafficking victims and strengthen the provision of comprehensive protective services, and prevent child trafficking from occurring. This is the first partnership of its kind in the Caribbean.

The completion of these new spaces is a result of the commitment of both governments to support child victims of trafficking in persons. The United States has provided funding through the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and Jamaican ministries, departments and agencies have invested resources and personnel toward the goals and objectives of the CPC Partnership.

Tuesday’s opening was made possible by the hard work of US implementing partner Warnath Group, the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), as well as other anti-trafficking stakeholders. These safe spaces, based out of INDECOM’s Kingston and Montego Bay locations, are designed for child victims of trafficking or other serious crimes to be interviewed and receive appropriate care and referral to services.

Under the partnership, Warnath Group has assisted the Government of Jamaica in creating multiple spaces for child victims, starting with the opening of the first child-friendly space in March 2022, operated by the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) in Falmouth.

Both new spaces include an interview room, with plans to add state-of-the-art recording equipment specifically tailored to supporting children. Artist Monique Kidd added beautiful murals showcasing the wildlife of Jamaica, to bring added colour and comfort into each space.

Warnath Group has also worked closely with INDECOM officers in providing the training, tools, and skills needed to deliver a high level of care and support to children accessing these spaces.

Speaking at the launch, Deputy Assistant Secretary Feinstein said: “These spaces will endure as long-standing resources for communities and serve as a model of true partnership embodying the spirit of the CPC. The US Government contributed, but it would not have happened without Jamaican leadership, resources, and political will. We urge the Government of Jamaica to continue to ensure the sustainability of our partnership”.

INDECOM Commissioner Hugh Faulkner added, “The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) is pleased to add to its facilities Child-Friendly Spaces consequent on the US -Jamaica Child Protection Compact Partnership. Our children and vulnerable clients, at our offices in Montego Bay and Kingston, will benefit from global best-practice interview facilities.

The commission records its gratitude to the Governments of the United States of America and Jamaica, for this bi-lateral initiative to improve access to justice services, specifically tailored for children and vulnerable groups”.

NewsAmericasNow.com