Title: Tropical Bliss – The life of a community in the tropics.

Location: Rosemary Lane, Downtown Kingston

Date: May-June 2019

Artists: Tavian Brooks, Michael Robinson, Dwight Robinson, Alec Champagnie, Trevor Witter, Zohria Allen

This mural is applied on a tall wall overlooking an Open Spaces, envisioned to be transformed into a Community and Urban Art Park in the near future. It is located at the edge of the Downtown community Parade Gardens, which fuses with the corporate area along harbour Street with its high-rise building, banking and commercial activities. The location is seen as a perfect meeting ground for all people, bridging their varying backgrounds. A place to spend the lunch hour, to relax after a work day, for children to play, get creative and have fun. The mural is overlooking this creative future Park building a synergy between walls and buildings and green spaces.

About the Artists
The mural was led by Mikey Robinson and Tavia Brooks, who designed the image. Tavia is a student of Edna Manley College and a creative graphic and visual designer. Mikey led the execution. He is an experienced muralist, living in Denham Town, and executing murals in Trenchtown, Tivoli, many other Downtown Kingston Communities, Belgium and the US.

Also involved was Dwight Robinson, Mikey’s son, a young and talented mural painter, whose courage and skill was crucial to take the mural to such a high height. Excellent support was the skilled young artist Zohria Allen, an Edna Manley College visual art student, who lives in Nannyville, who has a lot of potential to grow into a renowned visual artist.

Further members of the artist team was Alec Champagne, an experienced artist and artisan who is part of the Yabba project on Hanover Street in Central Kingston. He is hands on in woodwork and other skills. Supporting Artist Trevor Witter completed the team. Trevor is an experienced muralist from Parade Gardens, who has painted in the city since 1960’s.

Honorable mention is also Mr. Taylor from Trench Town for his assistance and the many helping hands from the community of South Side, who not only supported the mural idea, but lent lots of helping hands and assisted the execution tremendously.

Artist Statement
Jamaicans are friendly people of rhythm, bright colors, passion and with a high spirited nature. This wall mural highlights how important music of all genres is to the Jamaican people in their everyday lives. From the history of our ancestors who played skillfully on the African drums to the evolution of ska, rocksteady, jazz, blues, reggae & dancehall music, Jamaican people have been beating out a rhythm of love and togetherness that have captured the attention of the world.
Jamaica’s very communal society values family, togetherness, unity, harmony, peace, one love and tranquility and it enjoys and excels in playing sports.
This Tropical Bliss of togetherness and community stands to show how people can live in joy and harmony.

The Sponsors
Coldwell & Bankers, a long established Jamaican owned Real Estate company, sponsored the materials and fees for this project.