Battle of the Bands for MoBay

Ten marching bands from across the island will showcase their talents and creativity in a face-off at the Battle of the Bands Jamaica competition on Emancipation Day, August 1.

The inaugural competition, which was conceptualised by the Foundation for Arts, Music and Entertainment Limited (FAME), is slated to unfold at the newly constructed Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall.

"We are on a mission to provide a cultural conduit through which the marching bands in Jamaica can showcase their musical skills in a meaningful way, to the gratification of a local audience," said FAME director Aceion Cunningham. "While the competition is meant to be entertaining, it will also highlight the importance of music education to the nation's cultural development."

Battle of the Bands Jamaica is sanctioned by the Marching Band Association of Jamaica (an entity of the National Youth Centre for Development in the Ministry of Culture) and will be an annual fixture on the island's cultural calendar of events. It will welcome 500 of the nation's finest youth musicians, who will be judged on their showmanship and musicianship.

The competition on August 1 will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Patrons will be treated to an entertaining competition, the official presentation ceremony, followed by a star-studded stage show. There will also be a guest performance from a college marching band in the United States, being organised by FAME Honorary Director Elsie Foster-Dublin.

According to Cunningham, the monies from the event will go towards improving the state of marching bands in Jamaica, primarily through the provision of well-needed instruments and training for budding musicians and teachers of music, with an emphasis on males and females between the ages of eight and 23 years old.

"Marching bands in Jamaica have managed to remain in existence despite the many challenges they face. They will, however, need more than resilience and tenacity to remain relevant and to become attractive to the youth of the future," said Cunningham. "It is on this premise that FAME seeks to provide technical and professional support for marching bands in Jamaica to evolve and take advantage of the unique opportunities available in tourism, entertainment and youth development."