Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment & Sport - CGES

Today we celebrate the fathers who continue to guide, protect, and shape the next generation. Happy Fathers’ Day!

An exciting series win for the West Indies as international cricket returns to Sabina Park.

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says a Celebration of Life for the late Jamaican singer Ernie Smith will be held next week Friday, June 5, 2026.

Minister Grange describes the event as “an evening of music, memories and celebration”.

It will take place at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre beginning at 6pm.

Ernie Smith, an icon of Reggae music, passed away last month in the United States after a period of illness.

Minister Grange says the Celebration of Life next week will “highlight and honour Ernie Smith’s contribution to Jamaican music”.

Among his most memorable recordings are ‘Life is Just For Living’, ‘Duppy Gunman’, ‘Pitta Patta’, and ‘I For Jesus’.

We are grateful to Jamaicans who volunteered their labour at the national projects and many other projects across the country today.

Thank you for helping to make a difference.

One people. One purpose. In all things Jamaica wins.

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed sadness at the passing of the Jamaican author, Dr Hazel Bennett.

Dr Bennett, who served for many years as the head of the Jamaica Library Service, passed away yesterday at the age of 102 — hours before she was due to be celebrated on International Centenarians’ Day.

Among the books she wrote were ‘The Story of the Jamaican People’ (with Sir Philip Sherlock) and ‘The Jamaican Theatre’ (with her husband Wycliffe Bennett).

Minister Grange said Dr Bennett was “an exemplary woman who helped to transform and expand public libraries into islandwide spaces for literacy, and community development; and also advocated for the establishment of a National Library.”

According to Minister Grange, Dr Bennett was also an “outstanding educator who trained many of our librarians and advised on the establishment of library services across the Caribbean.”

The Minister said “Dr Bennett would be remembered for her humility, graciousness and commitment to her country”.

The Minister has expressed condolences to her family.

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, welcomes Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Daren Tang, ahead of a meeting held on Tuesday (May 19) at the Ministry’s offices in Kingston.