Jamaicans.com, a media platform focused on showcasing Jamaica and Jamaican culture through cultural articles, recipes, and language, was recognized for its role in promoting Jamaican music with the Honor Award for “Extraordinary Impact on the Reggae Industry (New Media)” in 2022 from the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA). The organization presented only four awards in the media category.
Upon winning the award, founder Xavier Murphy said, “We are honoured to receive this prestigious honour. On behalf of the Jamaicans.com team, thank you Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) and the members who voted to recognize us with this award.”
Music has been a featured topic for Jamaicans.com since its launch in 1995 when the platform was established to provide reliable, entertaining, and timely information about Jamaica and its culture to Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora, and to anyone who wants to learn about the country. There are many ways to engage with the country’s innovative and iconic musical genres, its music history, and the lives and work of its artists. The media platform features videos, podcasts, radio and internet broadcasts, and other internet technology to create a showcase for the island’s music. The platform also features live reggae performances via Facebook and YouTube and live video interviews with popular artists like Shaggy, Wayne Wonder, and Tessanne Chin. The platform’s original “Reggae Around the World” series presents discussions about reggae with the musicians who perform and promote the music in various countries around the world.
Jamaicans.com includes an entire section dedicated to music, which features unique articles about the latest recordings, awards and award nominations, and the work and performances of reggae and dancehall artists like Koffee, Spice, Sean Paul, and Shenseea. It also covers reggae and dancehall pioneers, including Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, DJ Herc, the first woman Jamaican record producer Sonia Eloise Pottinger, VP Records owner and operator Patricia Chin, Sister Nancy, Marcia Griffiths, and the most recognized and influential Jamaican musician of all, Bob Marley. Jamaicans.com is well-positioned to honor the artists and innovators in the music industry who have made contributions to Jamaica’s musical genres throughout its history. It provides coverage and reviews of important music events staged in Jamaica, like Reggae Sumfest, and around the world, including those held in the United States, such as the hugely popular music and food festivals in Florida, New York, and California.
Jamaicans.com, which reaches more than 600,000 people every month, is committed to giving maximum exposure to both established and new artists through features like its “Song Guides,” which guide visitors to the platform in creating their own playlists. Guides also provide lists of songs essential to appreciating a particular artist, and playlists created by celebrities are highlighted, including the annual playlists of former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
The Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA), a nonprofit, non-governmental organization was established to provide Jamaica’s music industry professionals to collaborate with each other and to lobby the Jamaican government and other parties to further their collective interests. JaRIA seeks to increase the economic, social, and cultural wealth of Jamaica and to unite and promote the common interests of individuals, institutions, organizations, and companies that are directly and indirectly involved with the music industry. It also provides a forum for its members to discuss industry opportunities and concerns and provides and promotes opportunities for its members to access education, networking, training, and capacity building.
