Gonzales painting Flows to Celine

Having created history by attracting what might be the largest audience to a Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, songstress Celine Dion left Jamaica's shores with a piece of Jamaican history in the form of a vintage panting by renowned late artist Christopher Gonzales. The painting was a gift from triple play Broadband service provider Flow, immediately before she took the stage.

Denise Williams, Flow's director of corporate and government affairs presented 'Sage', an original vintage painting created by Gonzales in 1985.

"It is an honour to share a small piece of Jamaica and our history with Celine Dion. This is especially fitting in this year that Jamaicans celebrate the 50th anniversary of Independence, and a time when we pay tribute to the achievements and excellence in all aspects of Jamaican culture ," said Williams.

Commenting on the painting, Wayne Gallimore of Jamagination, who helped Flow select the artwork, described the painting as exemplifying Gonzales' mature, expressionistic style.

'well-executed portrait'

The piece is described as being a well-executed portrait, with undulating, onionskin-like linear forms that produce a stylised yet mystical face with a serene expression that resembles both Gonzales' self-portraits and depictions of Christ.

Dion charmed and mesmerised the massive Jamaican audience with the best-known songs from her repertoire. Her performance, itself a work of art, had the audience singing along from the moment she appeared on stage around midnight.

Flow was a major sponsor of the 2012 Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival. Flow's state-of-the-art broadband technology powered the festival with blazing-speed Internet, digital-landline telephone and digital-cable television service.

Flow has again partnered with international cable company HBO to produce a documentary feature on the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival and the 50th anniversary of independence celebrations. The presentation is fitting in this context as Gonzales produced a number of historic sculptures including a portrait of George William Gordon for the Morant Bay Rebellion shrine at National Heroes Park in Kingston and a Coat of Arms relief for Vale Royal, the official residence of the prime minister. In 1975, Gonzalez also produced the two sculptures -Birth of the Nation and Unity of the Nation - for the Norman Manley shrine at National Heroes Park.