Looking forward to 2015 the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) is elated at finally having the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre as the Reggae Village for our February 2015, month long, Reggae Month activities. We congratulate the Reggae Month committee for guiding the process and thank the JCDC for their kind consideration.

We look forward to Reggae Wednesdays, Reggae University, the second mounting of the Annual Trade Fair, the possibility of discovering the “next big reggae phenomenon” during our Tuesday Live activities, the Friday evening relaxation sessions and of course, a special Valentine’s Day Dance featuring Stone Love. All of these activities plus having lunch each and every day while enjoying the best of our music, dance and drama will happen from the 1st to the 28th of February inclusive in the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre. Outside of that venue we will be experiencing the Annual Awards at the Courtleigh Auditorium, the Dennis Brown Earth Day Show on the Kingston Water Front and the Trench Town Festival. Please inform all of your family and friends, especially those overseas, that the place to escape the snow is Kingston, Jamaica, every day of February 2015 at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre.

As we review the year 2014, the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) hereby expresses gratitude to all our board members, committee members and general membership for your contribution of dues, voluntary service to the organization as well as your attendance and presentations to the board and general meetings. Special thanks to the working groups that led and implemented the successful: Reggae Month activities, first Annual Ska Festival, training and mounting of the Duppy Band series during the Independence Celebrations. We are most grateful to our sponsors for their kind contributions. In this regard we would like to specially mention the Ministry of Youth and Culture, the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, the CHASE fund, the JCDC, Jamaica National and Wisynco as well as the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts for allowing us space for our meetings.

We congratulate Marcia Griffiths, Phil Chen, Bobby Ellis, Dwight Pinkney, Winston “Wee Pow” Powell (of Stone Love) and Steven Woodham on receiving Jamaican National Honours. We do regret the passing of Uziah “Sticky” Thompson, Otis Wright, Phillip Smart, Lincoln “Style” Scott, Wayne “Sleng Teng” Smith, Cebert “Jackie” Bernard (lead singer of the Kingstonians), Joseph “Powda” Bennett (formerly of The Jolly Boys) and Chad Young (former CEO of Irie and ZIP), Hopeton Lewis, Desmond Miles, William “Bunny Rugs” Clarke, Feea Daughter of Zion, Newton Simons, John Holt, Rev. David Keane (SonShine Singers), David Johns and Barbara Jones-Lewis. We offer condolences to their families and loved ones and the assurance that they are now joined with the great celestial music fraternity.

To all our supporters through the years, we say thanks. The Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) wishes the best for all in what is shaping up to be a blessed 2015.