The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), an agency of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport in association with the CHASE Fund will host the 2018 Drum Festival at Emancipation Park, New Kingston on Monday, April 23, 2018 starting at 4:00 p.m. The purely percussion based event is a part of the annual National Finals of the Festival of the Performing Arts Competition. This event is free and open to the public.

The event, which takes the form of a concert, will see patrons being entertained by both Jamaican and Non-Jamaican drumming rhythms by some 50 parish gold medalists from across the island.  These finalists will compete for National Honours in six age classes, in the performance categories of solo and ensemble.

The competitors, who include individuals from schools, community groups, youth clubs, and social clubs, will vie for prizes and awards, including the Marjorie Whylie Award which is the premier award for the drumming competition in Jamaica. The JCDC has been giving this award to the top drummer for over 20 years in honour of Jamaican cultural icon Marjorie Whylie, who not only exemplifies the essence of artistic expression, but embodies it, as a performer, actor, writer, composer, presenter, administrator and teacher.

The Festival of the Performing Arts National Finals in Music will continue at the Little Theatre on Tuesday, April 24 and run until Friday, April 27 starting at 9 a.m. daily with performances in Instrumentals (Piano, Wind, Bands, String and Creative Instruments) and Vocals (Dee-Jay/Singjay, Spirituals, Gospel, World Music, Jazz & Blues and Jamaican Traditional Folk).

Students from the Greater Portmore Primary School perform at the 2017 Drum Festival.

For more information contact:
Kristen Laing
Public Relations Officer
Jamaica Cultural Development Commission
Tel: 926-5726-9/ 897-5204, 436-7836
Email: [email protected]