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Jamaica, U.S.A (MPR Consulting) - After recently releasing the hit bound track "Aye Gyal" to positive feedback, Dancehall/Reggae artist Lex-A-Million is gearing up for the premiere of the single's video. Filmed in Hartford, Connecticut with scenes out of Exclusive Cuts a local barber shop, Destiny Awaits Restaurant, club/bar Sunset Cafe, and 3digital studio and designs. The video captures the fun and sexy essence of the buzzworthy single. The St.Mary, Jamaica native explains "It's a story based video where there's this girl that I keep seeing who I am immediately attracted to but every time we encounter it's always at an insignificant point for me until finally I get a chance to make my move and execute." Directed and shot by Jaden Thomas of 3digital photography and design, the video also has a cameo by Paul Range. "Aye Gyal" video is slated for release in the next 2 weeks

Reggae Artist, philanthropist and CEO of They Often Cry Outreach (TOCO) has been conferred with the Les Pitons Medal (Gold) under the Order of Saint Lucia by the Governor General of Saint Lucia, H.E. Dame Pearlette Louisy. The Order of Saint Lucia is an order of chivalry instituted by Elizabeth II, head of the British Commonwealth, within which Saint Lucia is a member. The Governor-General bestows the Order on behalf of the Sovereign, and on the advice of the Prime Minister, during the official state program to celebrate Saint Lucia’s Independence anniversary. The Les Pitons Medal is one of seven classes, and issued in gold, silver and bronze categories. The Les Pitons Medal (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) is awarded to persons who have performed long and meritorious services to Saint Lucia, tending to promote loyal public service, national welfare, or to inculcate and strengthen community spirit. Weekes’s contributions were deemed worthy of the gold. Accompanied by his wife Angela, Taj Weekes was on hand to receive the honour, taking his place among a distinguished list of national heroes, exemplars of excellence and community stalwarts. A most notable recipient was Nobel Prize Winner for Literature (1992) Derek Walcott who was conferred with the Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (KCSL). Weekes citation lauded him for the consistency with which TOCO continues to implement programs that honor TOCO’s aim to elevate the human condition for youth, especially those at risk. The citation noted that “Mr. Weekes has shown tremendous commitment to service with his hands-on approach to implementing TOCO’s programs”. Taj Weekes’ active participation in TOCO’s programs is at the core of the Foundation’s success, a factor which has earned him recognition in various spheres. These include the International Consortium of Caribbean Professionals who conferred on him the distinction of Goodwill Ambassador (2007), the Brooklyn-based Saint Lucia House Foundation who awarded him with their humanitarian award (2012) and, UNICEF which officially appointed Weekes a Champion for Children in Eastern Caribbean (2013). About Taj Weekes Weekes' humanitarian work has been a staple of his celebrity, using every opportunity to serve and speak on behalf of the children of the Caribbean. He personally travels and distributes donated items to the islands, lectures to high school and college students on topics ranging from volunteerism to acceptance and tolerance, and donates his own money to ensure that TOCO can fulfill its missions. His efforts are at the core of TOCO’s success and in recognition for his work; Weekes was named a Goodwill Ambassador by the International Consortium of Caribbean Professionals in 2007 and by a division of the United Nations. In 2012, he received a humanitarian award from the St. Lucian government for his work through TOCO.

CODE is proud to announce the finalists for its third annual Burt Award for Caribbean Literature, which recognizes outstanding writing for young adults by Caribbean authors. Six finalists were selected from among 60 submissions of published books and unpublished manuscripts. The 2016 shortlisted titles are (in alphabetical order): • The Demise of the Queen’s College Adventure Club by Imam Baksh, Guyana (manuscript) • De First Family by Tamika Gibson, Trinidad & Tobago (manuscript) • The Truth Is by Lynn Joseph, Trinidad & Tobago (manuscript) • The Protector's Pledge by Danielle Y.C. McClean, Trinidad & Tobago (selfpublished) • Barberry Hill by Carol Mitchell, St. Kitts & Nevis (manuscript) • Girlcott by Florenz Webbe Maxwell, Bermuda (manuscript) The finalists were selected by a jury administered by the Bocas Lit Fest and made up of writers and educators with expertise in Caribbean literature. Up to $22,000 CAD in prize money will be awarded to up to three winners, who will be announced on April 29th at an award ceremony during the 2016 NGC Bocas Lit Fest in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. As part of its ongoing commitment to promote writing by Caribbean writers for Caribbean readers, CODE will facilitate the publication of unpublished winning manuscripts by Caribbean publishers. CODE will also purchase and distribute up to 6000 copies of the winning titles, which will be donated to schools, libraries and community organizations across the region. “This is the award’s third year in the Caribbean, and it only gets more exciting as time goes on,” said CODE Executive Director Scott Walter. “We were thrilled by the number of submissions received this year, many of them unpublished manuscripts by emerging authors, which suggests there is a great deal of untapped writing talent in the Caribbean. In addition to supporting the publication of the winning books, CODE looks forward to introducing these authors and their high quality, culturally relevant stories to eager young readers across the region.” To date, CODE has distributed 15,000 award-winning books to readers in eleven Caribbean countries. It further supports local writing and publishing through workshops for writers and editors and through reading promotion initiatives, such as sponsoring events that connect winning authors directly with young readers. “Our desire to tell and hear stories is never quenched and it starts with the young. The Burt Award is fuelling a revolution in the literary arts and publishing in our region in the underexploited area of young adult literature, and the Bocas Lit Fest is pleased to be playing its part in this important development,” says Marina SalandyBrown, founder and director of the Bocas Lit Fest. The Burt Award for Caribbean Literature was established by CODE—a Canadian charitable organization that has been advancing literacy and learning for 55 years—in collaboration with the Literary Prizes Foundation. CODE’s Burt Award is a global readership initiative that includes programs in the Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Canada. For further details on the Burt Award for Caribbean Literature, please visit: www.codecan.org/burt-award-caribbean or contact: info@bocaslitfest.com /Telephone: (868) 222 7099 www.bocaslitfest.com About CODE With 55 years of evolving success, CODE is Canada's leading international development agency uniquely focused on advancing literacy and education in some of the world's regions in greatest need. By acting to establish and ignite engaging learning environments through the development and publishing of locally authored and designed children books, training teachers and teacher librarians, resourcing libraries as well as distributing significant numbers of high quality reading materials, CODE focuses on inspiring young minds to improve their literacy and comprehension with the hope that they become critical thinkers and life-long learners, all in working towards nurturing a literate civil society. www.codecan.org.

Omari Banks "Me & You" produced by multi- platinum, multi-Grammy nominee, Jason “J-Vibe” Farmer is now available on iTunes via Vpal Music. In Tandem with the release of Omari's new single, Reggaeville has premiered the anticipated video. Filmed on the beautiful island of Anguilla, the video was directed by Lunatik of Great Music Studio. In a previous statement to the media, Omari explained his inspiration for the song "I was actually observing relationships and how they can get complicated when outside influences come into the equation. Sometimes all that is needed to bring things back a healthy and good position is the two parties working things out themselves. The song is about a couple who've been together for a while that are still in love but get caught up with the day to day proceedings They aren't spending the valuable time with each other but they realize this and work toward getting things how its suppose to be "Me&U". If you've been in a relationship then you will relate."

Warrior Princess Of Pop Zhavea and the King of the dancehall Beenie Man have teamed up for 'Gimmie That Love'.

Juliet Robin is the daughter of Former Director Of Culture Melville Robin and Rosalind Robin. She is classically trained in string, woodwind, and keyboard instruments and specializes in the violin, clarinet, piano and recently added bass and drums. At the age of 15 she was the youngest musician in the band that toured Europe extensively performing at various music festivals. She is a former member of the Trinidad and Tobago National Symphony Orchestra which was founded by her father, where she started with the violin and later switched to the viola. She was invited at the age of 18 to Venezuela to perform with the Caracas Youth Symphony Orchestra. Trinidand and Tobago Former Director Of Culture Melville Robin Juliet is a composer, arranger, producer, vocalist and teacher and has performed as a keyboardist and vocalist for several bands including, Charlie’s Roots, Dr. Roy Cape, Chandelier, Andre Tankar, Mano Marcelin, prophet Benjamin, the jazz pickle female jazz band, The Ruiz brothers under leader “Senor Ruiz”and Kelly Green and harmony band. She has provided musical accompaniment for several artists including David Rudder, Machel Montano Destra Garcia, and several popular Jamaican artists. She has worked with several international artists which include Terry Brock from the band Kansas and Jarmo Hoogendijk “jazz trumpeter” from The Netherlands. Send one your love performed by Juliet Robin and friends live at Fiesta Plaza Movietowne Juliet was contacted by Jocelyne Guilbault, Professor of Music, French-and English-speaking Caribbean music, Caribbean diasporas in The Americas, theory and method in poplar music studies aesthetics, cultural politics in musical production and circulation, from the University of California Berkeley, to be included in a book entitled “ A life in the calypso and soca bandstand” about Saxophonist and bandleader Dr. Roy Cape She is the only female musician to be featured in Dr. Roy Cape’s book. Juliet has held the position of Musical Director and Choir Master at various private schools preparing children for public performances, competitions and examinations. Although she is the leader of her own Latin Jazz band she has made it clear that they do different genres, and she also composes different styles. One of her latest compositions is a reggae song entitled “Strange Things” Neil Jason Alexander presented her with a “riddim” called “the August Riddim” which was produced by Neil and Curtis Bling at Star Studios in Santa Cruz. She composed the lyrics and melody. The song has been doing extremely well on the Indigenous Charts, as it has been at the top of the charts 4 times to date. The video for “Strange Things” was also done by Neil Jason Alexander who is currently editing it. Last year Juliet sang a pan song called “Take It Higher” It was composed, produced, and arranged by Miguel Camps. This year her panorama song was called “A groovy pan song”. Once again it was composed produced and arranged by Miguel Camps. It was the choice of the Sangre Grande Cordettes in the large band category. Juliet also works at various studios where she either plays the keyboards or sings background vocals. Recently she has been busy doing background vocals for a lot of artists who sing Chutney style because according to her “they like my style, approach, harmonies and professionalism.” Juliet stresses that even though her main love is Latin Jazz music, she always welcomes a new challenge. For this reason she is currently working on different musical projects. She is currently composing lyrics and melody for “The Melanin Riddim” which was done by Druce ‘JAGmeister’ which was done at his studio called S.I.L.O. Productions. This song will be released in May 2K16 and is a blend of EDM and Soca marinated with the essence of African music. She is also recording an inspirational song called ‘No Short Cut To Success.’ It was written, composed, arranged and produced by Michael A. Edwards and engineered at the studio of Jason Dasent. She is also working on a gospel duet with talented musician, producer, arranger and vocalist Gabriel Pierre at his own studio. She is also composing some lyrics and melody to a lot of music that was sent to her by Brian “Bad Company” Mitchell, which will be recorded at his studio called “Bad Company Music.” Her band performed at the AMMBCON showcasing which was organized by Ask Promotions and she admits that she learned so much from the seminars leading up to her performances that she is taking a different approach to her Latin Jazz CD. International producer Roger Ryan and talented producer Navid Lancaster will be producing her CD. Juliet is very busy these days working on compositions, studio recordings, co hosting on radio and recently added television and promotion. She admits that it is a lot of work but her job is also her hobby and she will have it no other way. She donates her talents to charities including performing at orphanages, as this is a cause that is near and dear to her heart; she continues to share her musical knowledge with anyone who is interested in perusing music as a career. For bookings Juliet can be contacted at julietrobintheband@gmail.com

The funeral arrangements for the late Mrs. Nesbeth (Ann-Marie Elliott Nesbeth), wife of Reggae singer Nesbeth is as follows: The Wake will be held on Friday, March 11th (7:00pm – 2:00am) at the Paradise Court in Arnett Gardens, across from the Tony Spaulding Sport Complex. The funeral service is slated for midday (12:00pm) this Saturday March 12th at the New Life Assembly of God Church at 148 Constant Spring Road, Kingston 8. The interment will follow at Dovecot Memorial Park.

The United Nations Pageants World finals will be held in Kingston Jamaica July 1-10, 2016. The pageant will see Teens, Miss, Mrs, Ms and Mr competing from all over the world. Meet Davon McFarlane, who will be wearing the title of Mr Jamaica Diaspora United Nations 2016. Tell us about yourself? My name is Davon McFarlane. I am 25-year-old. I was born in Port Antonio Jamaica and at the age of 6 I relocated to the United States. I grew up in Queens New York where I was the only freshman to make the Varsity Basket team at Bayside High school in NYC. In my Junior and Senior year, I was listed in the Top 50 best basketball players in the city. I got injured and turned to modeling I am represented by Nole Marin Judge of ''Americas Top Model" at Aim model Management NYC and NTA Talent Agency in Los Angeles California. I just received the title as Mr Jamaica Diaspora United Nations 2016. I am excited about it because it gives me a platform to reach out to Youths. What do you love about the United Nations Pageant? It is big on a charity work. I have seen the winners touring the world and raising money for charities. I have seen the contestants painting schools in Jamaica and giving motivational talks. I have seen the contestants providing clothes and cooking for kids in the Children’s Home. I would love to lend my hands in impacting lives. My goal is to give back. I want to inspire the youths in a positive way. What projects are you currently working on? The project I am currently working on is a comedy musical in Hollywood called "Down on your knees and up to the moon". I am also working on some dancehall tracks for a well-known movie production company here in LA , De passé Jones Entertainment Group. What about your work in 2015? In the year of 2015, I appeared in Fila Europe commercial, Lady Gaga fragrance campaign, Fila Sportswear campaign, Dave and Buster ad, California lottery commercial and on MTV comedy greatest party story ever. What do you like to do for fun? For fun I just relax on the beach, playing Basketball and listen to Gregory Isaacs, Sanchez, or Beres Hammond. I can say I am an old soul. Who are your Role Models? My role models are Marcus Garvey, Denzel Washington, Bob Marley, and Robert De niro. What are you looking forward to most in visiting Jamaica for the World final? What I am looking forward to most is to eating some Ackee and salt fish with green bananas and some sugarcane. Secondly to have a great time and make some great connections. What does the title Mr Jamaica Diaspora United Nations 2016 means to you? First, it is an honour to wear the title. I am humbled by it. It is a chance for me to have a voice and to speak for the millions of Jamaicans that love Jamaica but live in other countries. I want Jamaicans to know that we have a lot to contribute to the development of the country. My passion is to reach the youths. I want to encourage them to stay in school and get their education. Jamaica need hands that are productive and they can all help to build the country. I can’t wait to help with the painting of Schools and visiting the Children’s homes. What are your final words to readers? I want you to follow my progress to the World finals in July. My Facebook page will soon be up. I am still in need of sponsorship to get to the World finals. If any company or individuals wants to help in sponsorship. You can contact me via email: Davonmcfarlane@gmail.com

By now we all know that one of the hallmarks of the two major political campaigns for Gordon House in the recently concluded general elections in Jamaica was Nesbeth's monster hit ‘My Dream’. Well the dream of then opposition leader Andrew Holness leading his party to victory after being trounced five years earlier became a reality on Thursday, February 25th as he was sworn in as Jamaica's ninth Prime Minister on Thursday March 3rd ,2016. In an address to the nation during his inauguration The Most Honorable Prime Minister's said "My Dream is for you to live your dream" drawing reference from a song that had become an inspirational cornerstone for him during his arduous island-wide campaign leading up to this moment. So on Thursday afternoon after receiving a personal invitation from the Prime Minister designate, Reggae recording artiste Nesbeth had to be present to perform the song in what has gone down in the annals of Jamaican politics as an historical moment when Prime Minister Holness joined him on stage to sing and share in the momentous occasions, much to the adulation of those in attendance. For Nesbeth, despite the untimely loss of his beloved wife Ann-Marie Elliott-Nesbeth , it was a proud moment nonetheless and another step in upward mobility for the Reggae genre. He however got a chance to grieve publicly for the first time at the reception at Vale Royal where he delivered a tearful tribute to his wife ."Too much fi one man bear" said Nesbeth as the tears flowed freely, following the moving performance the Prime Minister in a gesture of comfort offered his condolence to the singer and his family. Lamenting on the situation Nesbeth said, “This day will go down in history for many including I&I. Today I realised that the strength of a man comes from deep within," The task of performing during this time of grieving seemed liked an uphill task, but I thought about instilling hope in the people of Jamaica and that propel led me to perform. Then I came to realise we have two choice in times of adversity, hold on to our dreams and keep inching forward or allow our dreams to die." Despite the mix of emotions for Nesbeth, his Entertainment Soul produced single My Dream continues to be a tower of strength in his own life amid opening a plethora of career opportunities. My Dream recently won song of the year at the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association - JARIA award ceremony and now enjoys premium rotation on BBC 1Xtra following last week’s announcement of the record being upgraded to their A-List alongside top tier acts such as Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar among others. The song is also doing very well on Capitol Xtra (Britain), Hot 97FM (New York) and currently occupies the No.1 spot for five consecutive weeks in Jamaica while bullying its way to the top of the Barbados and St. Kitts & Nevis charts respectively. Meanwhile, Nesbeth's latest body of work an EP titled Victory, available on all major digital platforms.. is described as solid modern roots reggae compilation that builds the foundation to carry Nesbeth’s message of upliftment, consciousness, and perseverance. While many protagonists of the reggae renaissance come from uptown Kingston, Nesbeth endured the dire conditions of inner-city communities like Maxfield Avenue, Arnett Gardens and Trench Town and knows all too well what he sings about when he employs lines like “Been through the worst of my worst days/now I can taste victory”. In his single titled ‘Taste Victory.’

Blak Ryno Official Video for "Motive" featured on the "Conquer The Moment" Project by Billboard Producer Ricky Blaze

Caribbean Digital Divas 2016 is a panel discussion will focus on digital branding for the Caribbean-American demographic. Moderated by Mikelah Rose of Style & Vibes (Founder & Creator ofCaribbean Digital Divas and Style & Vibes) The panel discussion will take place on Thursday, March 24 (6:00 - 9:00pm) at Livestream Public (Brooklyn, NY 195 Morgan Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11237) featuring panelists Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown (Career & Entrepreneur Strategist | Carry on Friends), Kelly Pierre-Louis ( Strategic Marketing, Digital & eCommerce / Mobile), Shelley Vidia Worrell (Chief Curator + Cultural Entrepreneur | caribBEING) along with our official social media correspondent Jay Blessed (Blogger & Social Media Strategist.) Caribbean brands are actively launching and growing regularly and as they continue to enter the market, digital is at the forefront of the growth strategy. “I decided to focus on Caribbean women in digital, because I saw so many women at the forefront, but lacking the platform to discuss, encourage and create solutions on the gaps of niche multicultural marketing”, says Caribbean Digital Divas founder, Mikelah Rose, “it’s important for us to have these conversations regarding digital so we can continue to build and grow our brands in the Caribbean and the diaspora.” Branding is more than just artwork, consumers want to know about the company, its story and what the a brand represents. Digital advancements have made it easy to access information, which contributes to how consumers view brands. Owning and actively participating on how you are perceived throughout the consumer decision journey is what active branding is. Caribbean businesses and entrepreneurs need to be at the forefront of digital to remain competitive. Who better to share our niche cultural brands and experiences to the world better than us? This panel discussion will dissect digital branding with respect to the Caribbean demographic. Join us as we discuss digital branding for Caribbean businesses and how brands and market to the Caribbean diaspora demographic. Date: Thursday, March 24 Time: 6:00pm-9:00pm EST Location: Livestream Public (Brooklyn, NY 195 Morgan Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11237) Sponsors: Cocotique, Cakes by Khalilah and Buy Cheap Central Official Hashtag: #CaribDD16 About Caribbean Digital Divas In 2013 Mikelah created the annual event Caribbean Digital Divas, held during Women’s History Month, to celebrate women of Caribbean heritage and their accomplishments in their respective industries embedded with digital success. The platform allows Caribbean professional women to embrace, discuss and collaborate on the role of digital strategies can assist in the advancement of Caribbean women in corporate businesses, entrepreneurial start-ups and career growth. About Mikelah Rose | Creator of Style & Vibes and Caribbean Digital Divas Mikelah is a Caribbean Culture expert, curating the bridge between the Caribbean and its diaspora. A CUNY Baruch College graduate with a BBA in Marketing. With previous experience with Caribbean lifestyle brands such as VP Records, Tempo TV and JAMROCK Magazine. Currently serving as a digital marketing manager by day, Mikelah continues to collaborate with Caribbean brands through both her Caribbean Digital Divas and Style & Vibes platforms.

Miami, Florida- March 7, 2016- Birds of Paradise Public Relations, LLC, is open for business. The boutique communications and consulting agency caters to businesses, organizations and individuals throughout the Caribbean and the diaspora, and those looking to do business in the region A kernel of an idea, by sisters and co-founders Ruthie Thomas and Gandra Thomas White, has blossomed into a full-service public relations agency with a sharp focus on the revolutionary economic growth experienced by the Caribbean. Birds of Paradise Public Relations offers a full suite of high-quality public relations services including media relations, social media strategy, brand alliances, image cultivation, reputation management and event planning. Headquartered in Miami, with offices in Los Angeles, the New York City Metro area, and St. Thomas U.S.V.I, Birds of Paradise Public Relations is uniquely and strategically positioned to increase the influence of Caribbean companies seeking to reach beyond their boundaries. The agency intends to partner with those inciting change through innovation and creativity and help share their incredible, inspiring stories. “It’s simple, as daughters of the Caribbean we are not only acutely aware of the region’s potential, we are also very attuned to the challenges it faces. We are genuinely invested in helping to secure a better future for the Caribbean and are eager to share all the region and its people have to offer,” said Founder and CEO Ruthie Thomas. Birds of Paradise Public Relations is a small firm with big talent. The team at the heart of the company has years of collective experience in public relations, television and business. The group is dedicated to providing one-on-one, in depth service to clients. The agency is geared towards sharing the revolutionary economic advancements taking place in the Caribbean: a growing tech hub in Jamaica, green-energy breakthroughs in Aruba, a collective effort to further establish the ecotourism sector, just to name a few. “Let’s face it, the Caribbean is typically seen as a luxurious, tourist destination with white-sand beaches, all-inclusive resorts, and smiling faces to cater to visitors’ every need. But there is much more to the islands than unlimited piña coladas and the warm Caribbean breeze. We believe the world should be exposed to all the Caribbean has to offer,” said Co-Founder & COO Gandra Thomas White. Boilerplate: Birds of Paradise Public Relations is a boutique communications and consulting agency that caters to businesses, organizations and individuals throughout the Caribbean and the diaspora, and those looking to do business in the region. Founded by daughters of the Caribbean, Birds of Paradise Public Relations aims to promote the revolutionary economic advancements taking place in the region by partnering with those inciting change through innovation and creativity. To join the revolution (or for more information), please visit birdsofparadisepr.com. “Reach Beyond Your Boundaries!”