Prelude

Survival of the most significant Caribbean product, Tourism is crucial to the economic wellness of most of the islands of the archipelago. It is important therefore, that the region is presented to the world as a unified entity that represents political, economic and social stability.

The lynchpin for both Tourism and the Caribbean being presented to the world is Communications, mainly manifested by Telecommunication amongst our various regional communities. In this context, the Internet, an invaluable tool for information dissemination, will prove to be the most critical component of the infrastructure necessary to build awareness for the Caribbean.

The theme One Caribbean Voice®, a registered trademark of Sanch Electronix Limited, will be offered to Caricom governments for use in their quest for ‘Caribbean Regional Integration’. The Domain www.onecaribbeanvoice.com will be used to promote and market Caribbean culture. The theme:

• Speaks of Caribbean stability;
• Is proud to be Caribbean;
• Represents the peoples of the region;
• Evolves from a backdrop of things Caribbean – The conch shell, sea, fish, sun, sand; and
• May be expanded to embrace West Indies Cricket, The Caribbean Examinations Council and The University of the West Indies.

The Challenge

• To preserve the sovereignty of each island (for example. One Caribbean Voice - Barbados; One Caribbean Voice - Grenada, etc.);
• To develop a message and brand products that capture the essence of a unified Caribbean, show support for each island, bridge cultural, economic, social and religious barriers, while having regional and international appeal;
• To promote sustainable inter and intra regional trade and investment; and
• To sell the region to the global economy.

The Message

The song, One Caribbean Voice® was composed by John Arnold, published by Sanch Music and performed by The Signal Hill Alumni Choir on a compact disc. It has been adapted to the various Caribbean Rhythms, namely Chutney, Merengue, Parang, Reggae, Shango, Soca, Son and Zouk. Kenneth Scott and Simeon L. Sandiford developed the artwork for the theme. The lyrics are:

One Caribbean Voice®

Oh the wall is broken down
Two Germanys sing one song,
Barriers all over the world are gone,
As people move to unite and avoid scorn,
Power increases as more water rushes to the line,
Even so, Caribbean people come together, hold one mind.

Chorus
We the Caribbean people stand up, one voice
Show the world we’re together, one voice,
(Ship rider or no ship rider)
We’re a force below, one voice
Strong in every field, bonded and wanted, one voice
Hey, let’s sing it loud, we need one voice
Everybody once again, we need one voice.

Federation once, Caricom is here,
But still our voice like a whisper in the air,
Not strong now to be heard, too soft to matter,
Listen coming together now that’s our power, stop the pettiness,
Let’s build on each other’s strengths,
United we stand, divided we fall, one voice is the judgement.

Bridge
My people it’s the only way,
For the Caribbean song to play, yes, one day we all would say,
My Caribbean passport, one people, one voice.

The Media

The message may be communicated via:
Above the line advertising

• Radio
• Television
• Press
• The Internet

Below the line advertising

• Bill boards
• In-flight Video
• Branded Promotional Items
• Magazines and Trade Journals
• Inter and Intra Regional Cultural Exchange
  

The Compact Disc

The CD was first released in 1997. It is proposed that a paragraph be written on the theme Caribbean Regional Integration and published in the booklet for the second edition. The Signal Hill Alumni Choir will be available for live performances. Branded multimedia products including knitwear, beach wraps, bags, caps and mugs would also be manufactured.

© 2003, Revised 2005 Simeon L. Sandiford