Tamarac, Fla. (April 26, 2023) – City of Tamarac Vice Mayor Marlon D. Bolton, with the support of the Consul General of Jamaica, Hon. Oliver Mair, and 15 other South Florida Elected Officials will honor Grace “Spice” Hamilton on Friday, May 5, 2023, at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Hotel North.
Vice Mayor Bolton was elected to the Tamarac City Commission in November 2016 as the City’s first black elected official, and the first Jamaican. Bolton has since sought to share his culture with the South Florida Community. He will do so this year by honoring Grace Hamilton for her work in music and entertainment with an amalgamation of keys from South Florida’s most prominent leaders, titled “The Key to the Region.”
Spice is an award-winning entertainer, Grammy-nominated artist, known around the world as the “Queen of Dancehall,’ and an advocate for women’s rights and empowerment. From her lyrics to her activism, she has always championed female strength and resilience through her music which celebrates female empowerment without shame or apology. Spice launched a campaign called ‘Grace Hamilton Women’s Empowerment Foundation. The foundation seeks to empower women from all walks of life by providing them with resources such as scholarships and mentorship opportunities. With this initiative, Spice creates a global platform where women are celebrated for their strength and beauty.
South Florida Leaders are eager to join Vice Mayor Marlon Bolton and Hon. Oliver Mair in honoring Spice for her contributions to Jamaica’s culture because her groundbreaking music is unapologetic and naturally Jamaican, her activism for women’s rights is commendable, and because Spice continues to shape Jamaican culture through artistry and advocacy on a global scale.
“I am honored to receive the Key to the Region of Florida from Vice Mayor Bolton,” says Spice. “Throughout my career, it has always been important to me to spread our beautiful Jamaican culture around the world. I have visited Florida many times over the years and it has become another home for me. I am so happy to see our culture represented and appreciated. Thank you.”
Live entertainment will be provided by Spice, Comedian Julie Mango, Violist Steven Avi, Saxophonist Corey Jones, and Magician Vladi Lukan. Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith will deliver a Keynote Speech.
All proceeds from the night will be donated to Broward Vision PAC. All tickets purchased are a donation to Broward Vision PAC. Tickets are available at https://BrowardVision.org/Ball.
The award-winning Dancehall and Reggae artist from Portmore, Jamaica has influenced the world to love Dancehall as much as she does. Her 2021 influence gained international acclaim thanks to her collaboration with Shaggy and Sean Paul with the hit record “Go Down Deh!” The hit single was part of her debut album “10” which made history when Spice became the first hardcore female dancehall artist nominated in the Best Reggae Album genre at the Grammy Awards.
As a current cast member of VH1’s Love and Hip-Hop Atlanta, Spice has also made a guest appearance on The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart (2020). In addition to the release of the hit single “Go Down Deh” (featuring Shaggy and Sean Paul) she has released “Frenz,” “So Mi Like It,” and “Conjugal Visit” featuring Vybz Kartel throughout her illustrious career. She has had seven Top 10 singles and 10 music videos that have each streamed over 3 million. To date, “Go Down Deh” has earned 21 million views in 2.5 months.
