TWO of the Caribbean’s biggest names– Digicel and Bob Marley – yesterday announced a partnership agreement that will seethe ‘Bigger, Better Network’, become the exclusive telecommunications partner of the Caribbean icon. The sponsorship – which is for an initial two-year period – sees Digicel offering exclusive mobile content that includes images and recordings of the reggae legend to its customers throughout the Caribbean – direct to their mobile phones in the form of InTunes, ring back tones and wallpapers.
The deal has been announced in time for what would be Bob Marley’s 66th birth anniversary on Sunday February 6. As sponsor of Bob Marley week, Digicel is supporting a number of festivals and tributes to the musician, such as the JCDC Bob Marley Symposium; the Trench Town Festival and the Bob Marley “One Love” football match.
The largest of the events will be a free concert hosted by Digicel and held in Emancipation Park, Kingston, on February 6, when a selection of high profile artistes will perform their favourite Bob Marley songs in front of an expected crowd of 5,000 excited Marley-lovers.
To announce the sponsorship, a press conference was held at the Bob Marley museum in Kingston last night with a host of representatives from the Marley family, Digicel and the media.
In addition, a host of Jamaica’s most famous faces from TV, radio, sports and businesses have recorded personal messages to Bob Marley which will be featured on Digicel Jamaica’s Facebook page over the coming days and weeks.
Digicel Group Head of Sponsorship, Karl Donnelly, said, “Like Bob Marley’s lyrics, Digicel is synonymous with vibrancy and positivity in Jamaica. This is a wonderful and exciting collaboration between the two.
“Bob Marley is known, not only for his outstanding music legacy, but also for his passion for Jamaica and its people – something which Digicel demonstrates in delivering the best service to its family of millions of customers across the Caribbean every day.”
From Kingston, Jamaica’s Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture, Olivia Grange, said, “Bob Marley is one of Jamaica’s greatest ambassadors. He gave the world brilliant and evocative music and his work stretched across nearly two decades and still remain timeless and universal. Today’s announcement brings together Bob’s legacy with a modern day phenomenon in Digicel, which will bring the memory and the music of Bob Marley to a whole new generation.”
Bob Marley’s daughter, Stephanie Marley, said: “On behalf of the Marley family, we are pleased to be honouring Bob’s music and legacy with this relationship. Digicel is a great supporter of music and Jamaican culture and I’m sure our father would be happy to have us spread his lyrics to the next generation with Digicel.”
Photo saved in a file in Graphics as Digicel Bob.
Caption: From left, Digicel Jamaica CEO, Mark Linehan; General Manager of the Bob Marley Foundation and Museum, Jacqueline Lynch-Stewart; Digicel Group Head of Sponsorship, Karl Donnelly; Marley’s granddaughter, Donisha Prendergast; and Digicel Jamaica Head of Marketing, Donovan White.