10 THE DINING experience for persons transiting Jamaica’s biggest tourist gateway, the Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay, is being touted to become an unforgettable one with the pending opening of the world’s first Bob Marley-branded restaurant, dubbed ‘Bob Marley – One Love’. An elated tourismminister, Edmund Bartlett, says travellers globally have been awaiting the opportunity of a “King of Reggae’ dining experience, which he anticipates will be“one of the biggest pull factors [ever]” for Jamaica’s tourism product. “There might not be another Jamaican … alive or dead … as famous as Bob Marley. Few, if any, with his global stature … Hollywood Walk of Fame and all … have done more for tourism, and we are just very excited about this newest venture at the Sangster International Airport,” the minister said. Dubbed One Love, after Marley’s global hit song fromhis seminal album, ‘Exodus’, released in 1977, the restaurant is slated to open at the end of March, according to chief executive officer for Express Catering Limited, operators of the facility, Ian Dear. “Undoubtedly, the experience will become a huge ‘must-see’ experience at the airport. It literally will be [the] centre of the airport’s experience and the central last positive memory when leaving Jamaica,” he said. Dear pointed out that the new central bar, along with Bob Marley One Love restaurant, will be part of the experience in visiting Jamaica. “We have created a wonderful Jamaican sense of place by providing all the wonderful sensibilities that Jamaica is known for. We are really excited to be able to launch this new attraction and experience of Jamaica’s lasting memory,” he adds. Dear says Express Catering is “extremely proud” to be representing Bob Marley’s legacy, adding that the late renowned musician’s family has been very supportive and is looking forward to the restaurant’s launch. He adds that Bob Marley represents all that is great and positive about Jamaica to Jamaicans and the globe, emphasising that “we take it as a huge responsibility to represent his legacy of peace and goodwill around the world”. “He is really and truly Jamaica’s global icon. This partnership is taken very seriously, in a very positive vibes way, that it took us 20 years to conclude a deal. This was not because we both didn’t want to do it earlier. We just wanted to make sure we did right by Bob in ensuring we had the time and focus to honour his legacy. We are very excited about our upcoming launch,” he said. The internationally acclaimed Time Magazine voted Exodus, by BobMarley and The Wailers, ‘Best Album of the [20th] Century’. One Love was selected as ‘Song of the Century’ by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). In a citation supporting its selection of Exodus, Time proclaimed: ‘Every song is a classic, from the messages of love to the anthems of revolution. But more than that, the album is a political and cultural nexus, drawing inspiration from the Third World and then giving voice to it, the world over.” The tracks on Exodus are Natural Mystic, So Much Things to Say, Guiltiness, The Heathen, Jamming, Waiting In Vain, Turn Your Lights Down Low, Three Little Birds, and One Love. Another reputable global magazine, Rolling Stone, in a moving obituary in 1981, following Marley’s passing, described the artiste as “one of the most influential music figures in the last 20 years”. In February 2020, the magazine republished the singer-songwriter’s 50 greatest tracks to commemorate the 75th anniversary of his birth. Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for MBJ Airports Limited, operator of the SIA, and the first Jamaican to hold that position, Shane Munroe, says further buildout of the dining space and experience at the facility, among other areas, has been on the cards for some time. He tells JIS News that the expansion of the departures lounge and opening of Bob Marley – One Love “will now make a huge difference” aesthetically. “This area will be a game-changing experience and I know our visitors will be loving every minute of it. [So] in addition to the Bob Marley – One Love experience, there is a new departures lounge where passengers can await their flights in an atmosphere that is second to none,” the CEO adds. He shares that London-based company, The Design Solution, took on the gateway’s commercial planning strategy and, together with consulting group Pragma, was instrumental in redeveloping the retail programme to bring it up to international standards. “The Bob Marley – One Love Restaurant and experience will be a major and integral part of the transformation strategy at Sangster [Airport] to deliver a memorable and stimulating experience for passengers,” he adds. Express Catering Limited is a listed subsidiary of Margaritaville Caribbean Group (MCG), which owns and operates a chain of Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville food, beverage, retail and entertainment outlets in the region. ‘Margaritaville’was American singer-songwriter, Jimmy Buffet’s highest-charting hit song. Jamaica and we went to May Pen and enquired where I could find the perpetrator. We asked questions and was able to find his parents. We were told that he had migrated and lived in Canada and I told them Keron was his son, but I never explained the circumstance,” she said. Thomas said after much counselling and prayer sessions, she got the courage to call her rapist. “I had never seen him since the incident and I had never spoken to him. My son was standing beside me and it was like this ball was stuck inmy throat and the memory of everything kept flooding back. It was awful. He apologised for what happened. I handed the phone to my son and my son was so happy, he was smiling and it did something to my heart,” she said. Williams, she said, was desirous to meet him and after much thought, was sent to Canada for two weeks. “He only saw him twice but they would keep in touch,”she said. Thomas knew the time would come when she had to share the true story with her son. “He had just turned 18. We went out for dinner and that night at the restaurant I told him exactly what happened. And he was blown away. He was completely dumbfounded. He was really emotional and he told me he was sorry I had to experience that and I told him howmuch I really, really, loved him,”Thomas shared. “A few weeks later he told me he made a decision to cut ties with his dad. I asked him if he was sure and he told me that he wasn’t the type of man he wanted to represent him as his father. My perpetrator died in 2015 and he never went to the funeral,” she said. Thomas’ biggest supporter is Williams. The 38-year-old father of two described his mother as a phenomenal human being. FOOTBALL PLAYER A former football player, Williams currently works in the information technology field. He told THE Gleaner that he was horrified when his mother told him about the manner in which he was conceived. “She told me after the second time that I had visited him. I had picked up on some characteristics that I didn’t like about him. He was not really a man of his word and so on. She told me all that had happened and she was strong because she kept it together while telling me. When she told me I felt like the roof of my head was coming off. I was just shocked and mortified and I couldn’t put my composure together just hearing it,” he said. “She had to endure a lot after the fact from being scrutinised and was labelled as being promiscuous. Nobody wanted to hear her story. My mother has been through a lot and I depend on her a lot more than how she depends on me. I can’t remember one situation where she didn’t come through for me,” he added. In between self-healing and raising her children, Thomas said in addition to a nursing degree, she worked hard to earn PhDs in clinical psychology, philosophy, theology and last year graduated as a medical doctor from Caribbean School of Medical Sciences in Jamaica. “I now have four doctorate degrees behind my name, a MBA and my nursing degree. I am looking forward to starting my internship at May Pen Hospital at the end of March,”she said. “We have been through so much as women and I think we need to love and support each other more,”Thomas emphasised. “The power of forgiveness is so important. I chose to forgive my perpetrator because I know that if I did not he would still holdmy key. I can talk and don’t cry anymore. I have let go.” ‘Bob Marley – One Love’ Restaurant Bob Marley FILE Touted as a potentially unforgettable dining experience for travellers Dr Ivanah Thomas and son Keron Williams CONTRIBUTED DREAM CONTINUED FROM 9 THE MONTHLY GLEANER | MARCH 9 - APRIL 8, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
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