- School to be built to honour her memory in Port Antonio in 2021
By Neil Armstrong
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Photo credit: Kevin Jones
Denise Jones with sons, Jesse, left, and Jerimi, behind her, and husband, Allan |
When Denise Jones was entering her teenage years in Portland, Jamaica in the late 1960s, the government had conferred the late Marcus Mosiah Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), with the Order of the National Hero in 1969. Garvey, who was born in St. Ann’s Bay, St. Ann on August 17, 1887 died in England in 1940 and his body was returned to Jamaica in 1964 and buried at the National Heroes Park in Kingston.
His work would later inspire Denise and her husband, Allan, to produce the musical docu-drama, Mr. Garvey, in 1989, two years after they founded Jones & Jones Productions Ltd., which has become one of Canada’s leading music promotions, management and marketing companies. Denise also cited her mother, Louise, an educator, and Garvey as her mentors/heroes in “Who’s Who in Black Canada: Black Success and Black Excellence in Canada,” a directory published in 2002 by Dawn Williams and republished in 2006.
“Denise was inspired by what Garvey was able to achieve with so little…He was self-taught, in the era of no Internet he was able to form a worldwide movement, the UNIA. Garvey made things happen and that would have impressed Denise,” says Allan.
Denise, who was born on April 23, 1956, in Port Antonio and has been described as a pioneer, icon, innovator, dynamo and phenomenal, died on December 3, 2020 of glioblastoma, an aggressive type of cancer in the brain.
The Hope Bay All Age School and Titchfield High School student was a member of a dance group led by well-known choreographer, Neville Black. Her involvement with the Neville Black Dancers happened while she attended high school. Black, who returned to Jamaica from his dance studies in Chicago in the late 60s, also worked as a guest choreographer with the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica. Brian Heap, a retired educator and former head of the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts at the University of the West Indies, says Black also did the staging for the Jamaica Folk Singers as well.
“At the time Portland was a thriving tourist destination; the Dancers performed mainly in hotels,” says Allan.
Denise would have been steeped in the indigenous dance movements of Jamaica. She would also have been listening to songs of Bob Marley and the Wailers founded by Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer and Marley in 1963. Years later, in 2000, she produced the “Tribute to Bob Marley,” a musical “rocumentary” on the life of Bob Marley.
This was the context in which Denise left Jamaica in the early 1970s to study communications at the University of Windsor and graduated in 1977. When she returned to Jamaica, Denise became a seasoned actor in LTM National Pantomimes and various plays. She performed in Verena Reckord’s 1977 pantomime “12 Million Dollar Man,” directed by Easton Lee, and Barbara Gloudon’s 1978 pantomime “ Johnny Reggae,” directed by Bobby Ghisays.
The story of “Johnny Reggae” as noted at ltmpantomime.com is that: “Mr. Nuffus wants only the best for his daughter Princess. He wants her to be a cultured young lady, loving only fine things. Princess has her own ideas, she likes to dance at the discos and moreso, to reggae music. But the biggest problem between herself and her father is her love for Johnny an aspiring reggae singer.
“Mr Nuffus in his alter ego of Baldhead goes out of his way to keep the lovers apart. He offers Johnny a contract which he gladly takes up. While on tour, Baldhead sends along Cutie hoping to distract Johnny. But love conquers all and Johnny with the help of his mother Miss Inez are able to set things right.”
Denise, whose surname was Oates then, played the lead of Princess. It was not by accident then that, like this character, she had a love for reggae music and chose to create a business promoting it. Frankie Campbell of the Fab 5 told the Gleaner that Denise and Allan met while working with the band during Louis Marriott’s productions, starting with “A Pack of Jokers” in 1978. She was also a lead in Kay Osborne’s play, “Wipe That Smile From Your Face,” alongside Carl Bradshaw, and performed in other theatrical productions.
Photo credit: Francine Buchner
Denise Jones, president and co-founder of Jones & Jones Productions Ltd., was the Supportive Partner Award recipient at the 3rd Annual Women's International Achievements Awards on March 16, 2013.
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In the book, “Global Reggae,” Carolyn Cooper, who edits it, references the chapter written by Erna Brodber entitled “Reggae as Black Space,” and posits that Brodber lucidly argues -- and she quotes the historical sociologist and novelist as saying -- that “reggae of the 1970s created a black space, it was an incubator for a kind of knowledge that needed to work its way out of the ground and into the minds of the young descendants of Africans enslaved in Jamaica. Not just platters among the dancers, the early reggae allowed meditation while you danced and even if you did not want to be black, you could at least understand why others would want to be.”
Cooper writes in the book published in 2012 by Canoe Press that Brodber establishes the complex ideological “grounation” in which reggae music is rooted: Black Power, Garveyism, Rastafari and postcolonial/ nationalist politics.
This is the context from which Denise and Allan came and that would also inform their celebration of reggae in Canada.
After getting married in May 1980, Denise and Allan, who was also an actor in pantomimes, immigrated to Canada in January 1981. They were involved in the Sudbury Afro Caribbean Association Players, which performed at the opening of the Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA) on Dupont Street in Toronto on August 9, 1985. Roy Williams has an account of this in his book, “The Jamaican Canadian Association (1962-2012): Portrait of a Community Organization (Warts and All),” published in 2012. They were also active in promotional work in Sudbury before relocating to Toronto and then Brampton.
While living in Sudbury, Denise edited The Caribbean Cookbook, first published in December 1983 with recipes coming from members of the Afro-Caribbean Association of Sudbury (SACA). Members of the group contributed recipes from their country of birth.
“I designed the front cover and had illustrations inside the book…In late 1982, Denise, myself and others formed the Afro-Caribbean Association of Sudbury and she served as the president from 1982 until 1987,” says Allan.
As a company, Jones and Jones Productions Ltd. was entering a space in the Greater Toronto Area in the 1980s where reggae promoters and forerunners Carl Mullings, in the 1960s, and Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange in the 1970s had laid a foundation and contemporary promoter, Lance Ingleton, of LIP Entertainment, was also producing live reggae music and other genres of music shows in the 1980s. Klive Walker in his book, “dubwise: reasoning from the reggae underground,” published by Insomnia Press in 2005 references the role of LIP Entertainment and Jones and Jones Productions in the reggae promotions and performance scene in the 80s.
“While Jones & Jones were making their mark, there were other show and event promotions happening, for example Sound System stage shows such as Dancert88 at the Concert Hall, [and] various editions of the Golden Soul Classics. Supreme Promotions staging of several blockbuster concerts, the Canadian Reggae Music Awards as an annual entertainment staple, and Ramsey promotions Farm Dance, are just a few entertainment events that were part of the entertainment landscape within which Jones & Jones had to navigate, and thrive,” says educator, veteran radio show host and reggae historian, Luther Brown.
He notes that working through her company, Denise was able “to serve the cultural needs of Toronto and beyond through concerts, plays, festivals, seminars, and her courageous leadership.”
“Her religious beliefs and faith guided her every step,” he says.
In 1987, the same year that the company was founded, Jones and Jones Productions Ltd. produced the all-nighter Reggae On Yah from 10pm-6am, which was held at The Great Hall on Queen Street West in Toronto, ending with Blue Mountain coffee and ackee and saltfish. They started Reggaebana in 1993 to infuse reggae music into the predominantly soca and calypso-influenced Caribana festival. The first one featured headliners, including the late great Joseph Hill and Culture, Leroy Sibbles and Willie Williams. Over the years, the festival featured some of the finest names in reggae music from Canada and around the globe. “Reggaebana artists on the annual summer concert series include Shaggy – his first Canadian performance, Half Pint, Majek Fashek, Freddie McGregor, Leroy Gibbon, Alton Ellis, Beenie Man, Luciano, Bounty Killer, Tiger, Big Youth, Dean Fraser and Firehouse Crew, Mikey General, JUNO Award winners Carla Marshall and Nana McLean and a host of others,” notes a synopsis of Jones and Jones Productions Ltd.
In 2005, they were invited to produce Air Jamaica Day, which started in 2004 in a parking lot near Eglinton and Oakwood avenues in Little Jamaica. The numbers of attendees grew exponentially from 1,000 in that parking lot in 2005, to 10, 000 at Gage Park in the heart of downtown Brampton in 2006, 20,000 at the Powerade Centre (now CAA Centre), also in Brampton, where it relocated in 2007. In 2009, the first JAMBANA One World Festival,presented by Air Jamaica and produced by Jones and Jones Productions Ltd., attracted 45,000 at Downsview Park in Toronto.
JAMBANA is billed as “Canada’s premiere one-of-a-kind music, arts and food festival celebrating the nation’s growing cultural diversity” and featuring reggae, Afrobeat, soca, dancehall, gospel, dance and comedy “across two days of jam-packed programming, complemented by delicious food and interesting vendors and activities.”
The company subsequently diversified its portfolio to include Rhythm Canada Talent Agency in 1990, and a corporate division started in 1995. Jones and Jones Productions Ltd. did promotional work with CHIN Picnic, Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival and the St. Kitts Jazz Festival, among other events.
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Photo credit: Francine Buchner Denise Jones with Rev. Deloris Severight at the Jamaica 50th Anniversary of Independence book launch at the Harbourfront Centre in April 2012
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It is not surprising that Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, says she always “impressed with Denise’s commitment to promoting Jamaica and its culture.”
She noted that Jones and Jones Productions hosted a number of events “which showcased and celebrated her Jamaican roots, music and culture.”
Grange highlighted Denise’s skills and knowledge to promote and manage “a number of reggae inspired artistes to include Exco Levi (Juno Award winner), and Leroy Gibbons, to name a few.” Exco Levi won five Juno Awards and was nominated seven times.
“Denise was instrumental in planning the 1st Diaspora Day which is now celebrated June 16 annually. Her community involvement allowed her the opportunity to lend support to a number of initiatives across the Jamaican Diaspora in Toronto Canada as well as in Jamaica.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that Denise was “an incredible advocate for Black and Caribbean arts and culture” who contributed “so much to our country.”
Marci Ien, Member of Parliament of Toronto Centre, describes her as, “a trailblazer who contributed so much to the arts, culture and entertainment scene across Canada and around the world.”
In the Ontario Legislature, Jill Andrew, NDP Member of Provincial Parliament of Toronto-St. Paul’s, led a moment of silence to honour the memory of Denise Jones, describing her as “a cultural icon” and “a reggae industry legend.”
In a statement, the Consulate General of Jamaica, JAMPRO and Jamaica Tourist Board expressed condolences to her family.
“Denise was a cultural ambassador for Jamaica and a philanthropist. She was truly a visionary who had deep connections within the entertainment industry,” says Lincoln Downer, consul general of Jamaica at Toronto.
He said Denise “warmed our hearts with her effervescent personality” and that “her wit, charm and adept business acumen contributed to her success.”
The Jamaica 50 Committee, co-chaired by Joe Halstead and Pamela Appelt, said, “the Jamaican community has lost an icon in our performing arts.”
“We are particularly grateful for her contribution to the roster of successful events celebrating Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of independence in 2012 when she developed the vision and execution of, “Jamaican Rhythms,” a “rocumentary” highlighting the best of the past five decades of reggae music held at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto. We will be forever grateful for Denise’s dedication and passion.”
Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation (HHJF) says it will carry on her legacy by building a school in Port Antonio in 2021 in her name.
Its founder and co-chair, Karl Hale, describes her as a founding member and driving force behind the Foundation.
“Her enthusiasm, energy, ethics, and love for Jamaica and its people were unmatched. She inspired and helped thousands of children in Jamaica get a better education,” says Hale, noting that the building of twenty-two schools is part of her legacy.
In a media release, HHJF says it has chosen “to dedicate the funds raised during their “Lend a Helping Hand” capital campaign to build the Goodwill Early Childhood Learning Center in Portland Jamaica, where Denise Jones grew up, in memoriam to commemorate her incredible spirit and dedication.”
“The foundation’s “Lend a Helping Hand” capital campaign launched on Dec 14 will raise vital funds for the building of the Goodwill Early Childhood Learning Center. Once complete the Center will create a lasting and meaningful legacy of Denise Jones, where she grew up and carry on her vision of eliminating the barriers to education for children,” says the release.
Meanwhile, the Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario describes her as “a fellow school builder and city builder extraordinaire.”
“Her work with Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation built schools and changed lives in parishes across Jamaica, including “the most beautiful parish on the planet,” her beloved Portland.”
The Carpenters Union said it was proud to have collaborated with the Foundation, Food for the Poor and Denise on the Wakefield Infant School build in Jamaica during the summer of 2018.
Photo credit: JNGroup
Denise Jones of Jones and Jones Productions takes the opportunity to ask questions about the emergence and management of crime in Portland during questions and answers following a presentation by Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson at the JN Outlook for the Future forum in Toronto on July 17, 2018. The event, organised by The Jamaica National Group, was held at The Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
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Describing Denise as “one of Canada’s best cultural ambassadors,” the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) says “Denise was in a class by herself, a woman of excellence, with a passion for music and the arts.”
The BBPA notes that, in 2019, JAMBANA received rave reviews from the Festival and Events Ontario annual conference and was recognized as one of the Top 100 Festivals honoured. In 2014, Denise was the recipient of the Harry Jerome Award for entertainment presented by the BBPA.
Denise was an active member of the Jamaica Diaspora Canada Foundation and in 2017 was among the nominees running for the Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board. “My commitment in my work and life in Canada is positively reinforcing the Jamaica brand and collaborating to build a more impactful Jamaica give,” she said then.
Adaoma Patterson, president of the Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA), says Denise represented all things Jamaican Canadian.
“She was an ambassador for arts and culture, and significantly advanced the impact of Jamaican, Caribbean and Black music, art, theatre and dance in Toronto,” says Patterson, who recalled attending the Sony Centre in 2016 to see National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica.
“Denise was so proud to be instrumental in making that performance a reality. That was a beautiful evening of community, music and dance, thanks in large part to Denise.”
Patterson says Denise had a long relationship with the JCA and the Centre and often attended various events “supporting artists such as Steele who hosts his annual birthday celebration at our Centre. Denise coordinated our annual Boonoonoonos brunch on more than one occasion and collaborated on large community events.”
In expressing condolences to Denise’s family on behalf of the JCA, Patterson says, “We will miss Denise’s passion for our community but her impact will be felt for generations to come.”
Photo credit: Neil Armstrong
Denise Jones with five-time Juno Award winner Exco Levi, centre, and Trevor Massey , Chair of the Lifelong Leadership Institute at the BBPA Harry Jerome Awards press event in 2019. Exco Levi was the recipient of the Harry Jerome Award for entertainment.
Photo credit: Neil Armstrong
Denise celebrating her 60th birthday in 2016 at her home.
Her sons, Jesse, president and chief innovation officer of TEN81 Lifestyle Inc., and Jerimi, a pastor in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, were instrumental, alongside Allan, in ensuring that the JAMBANA One World Festival in 2019 and the Tribute to the Legends of Reggae concert in February this year continued smoothly in her absence from producing the shows.
Denise’s motto, as published in ”Who’s Who in Black Canada,” is a quote from Bob Marley: “Don’t bury your thoughts, put your dreams into reality.” She certainly did that and was received many accolades for her work.
She is also survived by other family members, including her mother Louise, brother Gary Oates, and sisters Devan Oates-Fraser and Angela Oates-Moses.
I will miss our conversations, friendship, and her dynamic personality.
My condolences to Allan, Jesse, Jerimi, and the rest of her family and friends.
