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Ity & Fancy Cat

When Jamaica celebrates its independence on 6 August, Cayman will be celebrating right along with its neighbour.
 
The official celebration will take place downtown as the festival closes down Cardinal Avenue for the day with all things Jamaican. There will be food and music aplenty as the people of Cayman celebrate Jamaican culture.
 
“There will be music, people will be dancing and enjoying themselves,” says event organiser Banny Stephenson.
 
The day will of course feature that most famous of Jamaican flavours; jerk.
 
“This year we have a jerk festival, which is sponsored by Grace, and we’ll have seven or eight stalls with people jerking various foods - chicken, pork, whatever they want to jerk. We’re thinking of making it into a competition,” says Banny.

The all-day event will close with a free concert. “We also always start with some gospel so we have local gospel artists who perform early. Then we will have local performers, dancers, we also have a big screen which is at the back of the stage that runs with scenes from Jamaica.”
 
Every year the organiser brings an act from Jamaica to entertain the crowd. This time around it is not a pure musical act as has been the norm over the years. “This year we’re bringing a comedy act, Ity and Fancy Cat, top acts right now, they have their own television show in Jamaica,” says Banny.
 
The event is family oriented and Banny is quick to point out that the organisers pick the acts performing at the concert to suit this family friendly nature.
 
A big part of the celebration is to remind everyone how connected Cayman and Jamaica are.
 
“This is really what it is really, celebrating the linkages between the two countries,” according to Banny.
 
The event is put on by Roma football club, with the proceeds of the day going primarily to Roma’s youth development programme, with Digicel, Western Union, Grace and the Observer on Sunday being some of the sponsors of the day.   WH