Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports

		PRINT THIS			SEND TO A FRIEND

Jamaicans from all walks of life are expected to spend this Friday evening (May 23) at the annual National Labour Day concert at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in Kingston, beginning at 8:00 p.m.

The three-hour event will mark the culmination of activities being undertaken on this 45th celebration of Labour Day. Admission to the concert is free, with parking available at the adjoining Police Officers' Club.

This year's Labour Day theme: "Eat what we grow, Grow what we eat," focuses the nation's attention on the increasing food prices on the global market and the government's push for Jamaicans to plant and consume more of what they eat, as a means of alleviating the crisis locally.

A production of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), the line up for the concert includes a mix of experience and youth, and offerings of dance, comedy, and music.

The headliners are Queen Ifrika, Gyptian, and Christopher Martin; 2007 National Children's gospel champion, Chadique Young; last year's Gospel Festival winner, Garfield Reid; and veteran performers Lloyd Parks, Judy Mowatt, Ken Booth, Big Youth, and Jimmy Riley.

Other performers include: the 2007 National Popular Song winner, Gunty; performers from the Vauxhall High and Jessie Ripoll Primary Schools; the Tivoli Garden's Dancers; Islington Dinkie Minnie Dancers as well as popular local artistes RDX and Lil Joe.

Labour Day is a day of voluntary community participation in which Jamaicans work for the benefit of their country and communities. This year's Labour Day is being used as a spring board for the government's food security strategy and dozens of schools will undertake activities aimed at increasing local food production in line with the Ministry of Agriculture's focus on food security.

In addition to the National Project in Portland, a pilot green house project is to be established at the St. Thomas Technical High School in Golden Grove. In other areas, school gardens will be established while existing gardens will be expanded. It is expected that more than 190,000 packets of seeds will be planted in schools and communities island-wide.

		PRINT THIS			SEND TO A FRIEND