Ground broken for Jamaica Music Museum building

FOR MANY years, the desire for a separate building to house the Jamaica Music Museum (JaMM) has been languishing in some people’s head, and now it seems like it has jumped out of their head and has hit the ground hard. For, on Sunday, August 31, ground was broken at the corner of Water Lane and East Street in downtown Kingston for the establishment of a permanent JaMM home.

A signage mounted at the spot says, “This is the site of the future home of the Jamaica music museum as commissioned by the honourable Olivia Grange, minister of culture, gender, entertainment and sport.”

“Today marks a true milestone. As we open JaMM’s vibrant new exhibition, we also begin a new chapter, securing a permanent state-of-the-art home for Jamaican music and culture. This institution will anchor our legacy and inspire the future. The Jamaica Music Museum will be more than just a destination. It will be a dynamic space to connect with and be inspired by ancestral spirits,” Minister Grange told the gathering.

Since the idea of the museum was conceived around 2001, there has been much frustration and tension over the lack of progress and manifestation of a permanent structure. It started in the corridors of the Institute of Jamaica, was relocated to a tight space on Water Lane, and is now housed in the Tower Street Gallery.

“This groundbreaking milestone marks a new chapter, a living, monumental edifice that will reflect the past, present, and future. I envision a state-of-the-art building that will showcase a more expanded collection, a museum that resonates with pulsating performances and Jamaican cultural expressions. It will convey aesthetics deeply rooted in Africa, the cradle of our diverse heritage,” Minister Grange said.

Herbie Miller, who has been the director/curator of the JaMM since 2008 is the happiest of all the stakeholders. His passion for its manifestation was dampened by the frustration, created by the lack of progress, he had gone through over the years.

Now, he told The Gleaner, “To join the minister and other colleagues in sticking that shovel in the earth, symbolic of a ground-breaking was a feeling of finally achieving. There are many steps to get to the top of the mountains, and I certainly hope that it won’t frustrate those of us who want it.”

He was intimating that, now that the ground is broken, the structure must get off the ground. The erection of the signage should speed up the process in reasonable time. Yet, he is still cognisant of the fact that “these things do not happen overnight”.

“So the thrust definitely will be to see the building of this museum … It’s now up to the Government because it’s a government initiative through the Institute of Jamaica, and the different organisations, out of which the government will basically access funds. It’s a heritage project, it’s a priority for the Government, been coming a very long time,” Miller told The Gleaner.

“It should not just be somewhere for you to go inside to see what’s in there. In my mind, it ought to be a building that stops you in your tracks, to look at the architecture, and say, my goodness, what mind conceived of this, to materialised it, to actualise it into a physical space.”

In her address, Minister Grange said when she offered Miller the opportunity to become director and curator of the JaMM, he immediately understood the assignment. With his deep industry connection, vision, dedication, and precision, he had built an impressive national collection, transforming each musical treasure into a story that resonated with everybody.

“The museum must inspire both present and future generations to continue imagining, innovating, and creating as we embark on building our museum and continue this melodious journey,” Minister Grange also said. “With this vision, I now invite everyone – Tom, Dick, and Harry, as well as each of you present, to join me in breaking ground today, and to support and participate in building this magnificent new cultural institution going forward. Drummers, let music and joyful chanting to the ancestors begin as we break ground together and thank their spirits for guidance.