JAMAICA EYED BY COLLECTORS OF VINYL RECORDS—05/24/15
While digital streaming has contributed to the decline of music and vinyl record sales, as consumers seek inexpensive and free ways to get their music. Some local Jamaican record stores have had to close because customers have moved to digital formats. However, research by the BBC indicates that global sales of vinyl rose by over 50 percent since 2014, especially when the music involved was recorded in the 1970s and 1980s in Jamaica and the Netherlands.

SEVEN WOMEN ARTISTS PRESENT EXHIBIT—05/25/15
The National Gallery of Jamaica will present an exhibit by several women artists beginning on May 31, 2015. The show, entitled “Explorations III: Seven women Artists,” is examining whether any concept of women’s art is relevant to today’s Jamaicans. The exhibit is curated by O’Neil Lawrence, the senior curator at the National Gallery. The artists presented include Jasmine Thomas-Girvan, Judith Salmon, Miriam Smith, Prudence Lovell, Kereina Chang-Fatt, Berette Macauley, and Amy Laskin.

TESSANNE CHIN PERFORMS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. ON MEMORIAL DAY—05/26/15
Jamaica’s Tessanne Chin was one of the performers at the 26th Annual National Memorial Day Concert presented in Washington, D.C. She sang “I Will Always Love You,” a song written by Dolly Parton and popularized by Whitney Houston. Chin often performs for social and human rights charities throughout North America and the Caribbean, The concert honored U.S. military veterans and their families.

SWISS FILMMAKER PREPARING SECOND DOCUMENTARY ON JAMAICAN MUSIC—05/28/15
Markus Egloff, a filmmaker from Switzerland, is not saying much about his new project but noted it will be similar in theme to his first effort, “The Art of Making Music: A Way of Life,” which saw a 2012 release. The documentary is about roots music, he said, and reflects the authentic reggae that he grew up listening to. Egloff is looking for financial backing for the new film.