Minister Babsy Grange Urges Churches To Develop Gospel Bands, Vocal Talents Across Jamaica

Minister of Entertainment and Culture Olivia “Babsy” Grange urged the Church to use its influence and resources to make Reggae Gospel become bigger than it is at present.

She made her call while speaking at the Reggae Month Church Service at the Fellowship Tabernacle, at Fairfield Avenue in Kingston this morning, ahead of the start of the month-long Reggae Month celebrations set to commence on February 1.

“Today we have a battalion of Christian soldiers within the framework of Reggae Gospel.  Our churches need to join us in a more fulsome way, in creating an even more larger Reggae gospel music industry,” she said, turning to the church’s Minister, Reverend Al Miller.  “Focus on unearthing and developing gospel bands and vocal talents across the country and unleashing them on the world in reverence and praise.” 

In reminiscing on times gone by when Reggae in the Church was taboo, Minister Grange reminded the congregation that notions of the genre being unworthy of being used in worship, has long being been dispelled, and is now embraced.

“Yes, there was a time when the guardians of religion – the churches here in Jamaica – felt that Reggae could not encapsulate the theme of reverence before God.  But that is changing.  Through, and in Reggae music people have found their balm in Gilead.  They have found an engine and motivation to press on and not despair through hard times,” she explained.

“They have found a platform of solidarity where oppressed people could bond as they seek common solutions to mental, spiritual and economic anguish and they have found the globally unifying theme of “one love”.   So Reggae music underscores the very concept of reverence and praise, as depicted in that important line of redemption song composed by Bob Marley: ‘Our hands were made strong by the hands of the Almighty…’” the Minister added.

The Minister, as she did at last year’s church service, “also expressed some discomfiture about the state of the music being released by some Jamaican artists.

“I am concerned about the direction in which the music is going from some artistes, but we must not despair.  What we have to do is hold their hands and try and steer them in the right direction,” Grange, a former manager for Bounty Killer, Shabba Ranks, and Patra, said.

“Many youngsters today are lining up for an opportunity as we would say in the music industry, to get a buss, and we have to find ways to expand our outreach, so that more and more of them will be able to get their share.  But get their share and use it in a positive way,” she said.

Minister Grange also called for persons who have become wealthy due to Reggae music to exercise humility.

“I want to use the opportunity to say that those that the music has created wealth for, I ask them to be humble.  Be humble and do not take it for granted.   Because you can be wealthy tonight and be poor tomorrow.  It is a gift and we should take that gift with humility,” she said.

In a release a few days ago, Grange had announced that Reggae Month 2023 would have live events across the country every single day for the entire month of February.

“It will be one month of entertainment, constantly, every day,” the former Specs Shang executive stated in a release.

According to the release, among the activities are tributes to Dennis Brown (on February 1); Bob Marley (on February 6); the weekly JARIA Wednesdays; the Children of the Icons and Emerging Artistes series; as well as the Reggae University Series.

“And it’s not just entertainment, but it’s also educational because we’re going to be having symposia. We’re going to be doing several interviews so that the public will have a better understanding of our personalities and their lives. We will have documentaries… and we will have an exhibition of dance hall posters over the years,” she noted in the release.

“We will also host tributes to some of our greats who have passed on, and we will have the Reggae Golden Awards. We will be awarding a number of our artistes who have contributed to Brand Jamaica and made the music what it is,” she added.