The One Love Jerk Festival held at Shelly Bay yesterday was broadcast live to Jamaicans around the world thanks to the attendance of popular radio host Dervan Malcolm.

Mr Malcolm is a talk-show host for Power 106FM — a Jamaican radio station owned by the International Radio Station, parent company for The Gleaner newspaper. He was broadcasting from the second annual jerk festival organised by the Jamaican Association of Bermuda. Power 106FM streams live on Gleaner’s website, www.go-jamaica.com, which attracts in the region of 2.9 million listeners each month.

During his visit to the Island he interviewed members of Bermuda’s Jamaican community while highlighting Bermudian culture and heritage via the station.

He told The Royal Gazette: “This country is beautiful. The people here are warm and friendly. We have a huge audience and it is out of that recognition that we have been travelling across the Jamaican Diaspora covering events such as this one.

“They have been hearing about all the good things that are happening in Bermuda, including the fact that the America’s Cup is going to be held here in 2017 and that some of the work has started already.

“I spoke to your Premier Michael Dunkley and I have been doing some comparisons between Bermuda and Jamaica. There are so many Jamaicans here — close to 3,000 — and working in every sector. It feels like family, it feels like home.”

The festival was threatened by heavy showers but the weather cleared up by late afternoon and about 2,000 people turned out to enjoy Jamaican cuisine and live entertainment.

Event chairwoman and former JAB president, Marlene Flynn-Carty, said: “We are really hoping that each year we can make it bigger.

“It is about love and unity. It’s about bringing the community together under the theme one love, one heart and one people.”

The event raises funds for charity through the sale of concessions and the JAB hopes it will become a permanent fixture on Bermuda’s events calendar.