Rita and Cedella Marley are the latest international reggae icons to endorse the Jamaica Heroes Modernized project, according to Shay and Kay Productions.
“I believe the Jamaica Heroes Modernized project is important for others to support due to its mission of honoring and reviving the portrayal of Jamaica’s national heroes,” said Bob Marley’s first born, Cedella Marley, chief executive officer of the Bob Marley Group of companies in endorsing a video with her mother and reggae icon, Rita Marley, at their home in Miami.
“We believe as Jamaican’s we need to be globally represented for our impact on culture and the world,” she added.
Jamaica Heroes Modernized is a multi-dimensional legacy project focused on taking ownership of the Jamaican story and retelling it through the journey of the national heroes from pre-emancipation to post-independence, Shay and Kay Productions said.
It said the project aims to propel a culturally-immersive Jamaican story onto the world stage with film, fine art paintings, music, a new digital presence and print collateral.
Jamaican born philanthropic ARTivist and executive producer, Charles “Mark Phi” Smart, expressed his enthusiasm for the endorsement.
“We are honored to have Bob Marley’s legacy endorse the work we’re doing and lending their support for the preservation of our culture,” he said. “Our national heroes contributed to Jamaica’s physical emancipation and political independence.
“Bob Marley continued the work emancipating the hearts and minds of people towards empowering that independence,” Smart added. “This is one of the reasons he will be featured in the film series alongside Jamaica’s national heroes.”
“Queen Nanny served as an unprecedented inspiration for Jamaican women everywhere,” said Cedella Marley, who, in 2014, became the lead benefactor to reform the Jamaica women’s football team through her role as director of the Bob Marley Foundation.
Smart, who has a collection of Bob Marley fine art paintings on permanent exhibit at the Bob Marley Museum, said: “We are making great progress and are currently in pre-production on the first episode of the film series about Queen Nanny of the Maroons.”
