Thursday, February 3^rd 2011 – Kingston, Jamaica: Two of the Caribbean’s biggest brands – Digicel and Bob Marley – yesterday announced a partnership agreement that will see the 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 66^th Birthday on Sunday February 6^th. 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.

However, the largest of the events will be a free concert hosted by Digicel and held in Emancipation Park, Kingston on February 6^th, where a selection of high profile artists will perform their favourite Bob Marley songs, in front of a 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 business 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 two of Jamaica’s favourite brands.

“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.”

Jamaica’s Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture, the Honourable 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 yet still remains 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.”

ENDS

ABOUT DIGICEL GROUP 

After almost ten years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 11 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Cup. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.

Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars – an annual talent show to support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean. The show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago ranking as one of the top-rated shows.

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.

Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more information.