Caribbean Heritage

THE MONTHLY GLEANER | MAY 17 - JUNE 16, 2021 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | OPINION & COMMENTARY 9 NO ONE DESERVES TO BE LONELY! NEW YORK, NY: L ISTEN UP! If you are a singer or someone with a decent voice and an eye on the lucrative en- tertainment industry, Earl Thompson wants to hear from you, in a hurry! Earl Thompson is a songwriter who pulls on his Jamaican roots for inspiration. Originally from the district of Wood Hall in Clarendon, Jamaica, Thompson has been telling his own story ever since he could remember. It was while pursuing post-secondary studies in Jamaica that he developed an even deeper passion for writing. After serving 12 years as a police officer there, Thompson migrated to Canada, where he lived for a number of years before settling down in NewYork City, USA. He would later earn a diploma in journalism while in Canada. At the end of his tenure as a police officer, Thompson looked to take his writing career to the next level and ventured into the music industry, banking on his natural songwriting abilities and successes in multiple poetry, film and other competitions. In November 2019, through a mu- tual connection, he joined forces with Distrokid Records, an international label based in America. Today, he is eager to share his two latest songs, You’re EverythingToMe and Georgia, Please Come Back To Me , with fans near and far. The recently released sin- gles are available on Spotify, YouTube and all other online stores. The songs are two of seven tracks on his début EP, You’re Everything To Me , soon to be available on all digital music platforms. Jamaican songwriter looking for a few good singers Earl Thompson. CONTRIBUTED NEWS THE COVID-19 pandemic has forced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade to scrap the 9th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference sched- uled for June 16-18. The event, which was due to be held virtually, has been postponed until 2022. A two-day symposiumwill be staged instead. “The symposium is being considered as an effective pivot to maintain the connection with the diaspora,” said Senator Leslie Campbell, the minister of state who has responsibility for di- aspora affairs. The June 16-17 symposium will feature panel discussions on health, education, and diaspora partnerships; the Governor General’s Awards for Excellence; a town hall; and a youth forum. Diaspora conference off