Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture the Hon. Dr. Daniel Johnson is pictured, centre, with stakeholders and representative members of the “TEAM BAHAMAS” artistic delegation traveling to the Meet in Beijing Arts Festival. Among those pictured with Minister Johnson are Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Sheila Carey, fifth left, and Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism Harrison Thompson, fourth left. (BIS Photo/Eric Rose)
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In a bid to “jump-start
the Bahamian music industry in international markets,” a
delegation of more than 40 Bahamian musicians and entertainers will participate
in the Annual Latin American and Caribbean Cultural Exchange at the 2016
Meet In Beijing Arts Festival, a major
artistic gathering.
Minister of
Youth, Sports and Culture the Hon. Dr. Daniel Johnson presented members of the
“TEAM BAHAMAS” artistic delegation
Tuesday at the Office of the Prime Minister;
the group travels to Beijing April 27.
In her statement
Director of Culture Rowena Poitier said: “The Bahamas is pleased to
have been invited to take part in the 2016 Latin American and Caribbean
Cultural exchange in China. I am
informed that this year will be one of the biggest exchange programs in China,
ever, with over 30 Latin American and Caribbean nations taking part.
Special thanks to our new ambassador to China, Paul 'Andy' Gomez, and the team
at the Embassy in Beijing, for all of their efforts in pushing this initiative
forward.
“China is indeed one of the
largest cultural and entertainment markets in the world. As we work to develop the Prime Minister's
new and exciting vision to push the Bahamas' creative and cultural industry, a
market like China will be key. Music is one of the most powerful and
transformative mediums in cultures, universally. China has a population of more than 1.3 billion
people, so we view this as an amazing opportunity to jumpstart the Bahamian
music industry in international markets.
“We are proud to announce that two Bahamian bands, Visage and Ting Um
Dem,along with Fred Munnings Jr., Julien Believe and the Goombay Dancers,
have been identified by the Bahamas Embassy in China to represent
Bahamian music and culture, to the world.”
The Bahamian group will perform
at the Food Festival
at the JW Marriott Hotel on April 30th, then
at
the "798 ART
ZONE," a cultural hub that caters to thousands of
people daily and features art galleries, museums, cinemas, culinary arts,
theatre, open forums and exchanges – on
May 1 and 2.
The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture
partners with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration and the Ministry
of Tourism in this major cultural drive.
It also partners with FOCOL and its Chairman Sir Franklyn Wilson; Equity
Bank and Trust and its Vice-Chair Mrs. Ivylyn Cassar; and The Palm Cigars and
its President Mr. Robin Nichols towards its success.
The delegation is scheduled to leave Beijing
on
May 3rd.
