Brands: Bolt helps Digicel "Bring the Beat' in Kingston

Usain Bolt, the fastest man alive, yesterday teamed up with Digicel to launch its Bring the Beat campaign in front of an inquisitive bunch of little kids from across the Caribbean at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica yesterday. The launch took the form of a lively fireside chat session with Usain, hosted by nine-year old Naleighna-Kae McLean from Jamaica, followed by a 'Kiddie Press Conference'.

The Launch

Facing his toughest audience yet, the 30-strong kiddie press pack aged between six and ten years peppered Usain with questions they have been burning to ask all their lives. Seven-year old Ajani Brown, also from Jamaica, tried not to seem too keen but it was clear that he was eager to meet Usain and took advantage of the opportunity that presented itself asking; "Mr. Usain, can we be friends on Facebook when my mommy gets me one?" With laughter all around, Bolt responded; "Sure. But first let's take a selfie."

The Campaign

Digicel's Bring the Beat campaign represents the culture of the Caribbean and the irrepressible spirit which unites and ignites its people. Through music and the celebration of extraordinary talents, the campaign will connect the world to the Caribbean and its culture and support all of the athletes who are set to represent their countries in Brazil.

Inspired by the campaign, Trinidad and Tobago's soca monarch, Machel Montano released his latest single, 'Bring the Beat', featuring Jamaican songbird and winner of season 5 of NBC's The Voice, Tessanne Chin, as a tribute to the athletes as they take on the world in Brazil. Machel said; "The song represents and embodies everything the Bring the Beat campaign is about – connecting, inspiring and entertaining."

Six-time Olympic Gold Medallist, Usain Bolt, said; "It's really great to have the support of your country and the entire region when we are out there on the track. So I think this is a great campaign. For me I'm just focused on going out there and doing my best and showing the world how we bring the beat."

Digicel Group Director of Marketing, Peter Lloyd, said; "Music and sport have the power to bring people and nations together – and that is exactly what we are about. We will use beats, music, rhythm and talent to connect the world to our athletes no matter what flag they compete under."

Through social media, fans will have the opportunity to win tickets to some of their favourite sporting games this summer, like the NBA, CPL and of course, the biggest track and field event this year in Brazil to watch Shelly-Ann and Usain defend their titles.

-from Jean Lowrie-Chin post

West Indies Cricket in the Crucible: FIRE IN BABYLON Official Trailer - In Cinemas May 20

It might not immediately resonate with despondent Windies cricket fans, but the two-decade dynasty that the great West Indies teams of the late 70s through the early 90s  was forged in the cauldron of Australian pace bowling and the ashes (no pun intended) of a thrashing at the hands of the Aussies in 1975.

After that fateful test new captain Clive Lloyd set out to overhaul the team and, essentially, fight fire with fire. Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft and - later Malcolm Marshall, Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose, combined with the potent and intrepid batting attack of Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, the aforementioned Lloyd and Vivian "Master Blaster" Richards  to put the "fire" of the film's title on, first, the English, and then, the Australians in the supreme grudge match.

For its portrayal of the above only, "Fire On Babylon" is a worthy addition to sporting film lore. But the production teams behind award-winning features like "The Last King of Scotland" and "Restrepo" has much more on their minds than just a cricket highlight reel. The ascendancy of the West Indies is set against and paralleled by the socio-political forces of the day, including the rise of Afro-consciousness, the fight against apartheid and against racism in general, and the concurrent threads of Caribbean musical expression - reggae in particular - which were also attracting global attention.

All these elements are skillfully and wittily blended by writer-director Stevan Riley, who has everyone giving input, from Sabina Park groundsmen to last-standing Wailer Bunny "Jah B" Livingstone to the cricketers themselves - notably Richards and Holding, who each speak poignantly about resisting the temptation to go on the ill-fated and controversial "Rebel Tour" of then apartheid South Africa in the early 80s.

The bottom line is you don't even have to like cricket to enjoy Fire In Babylon, although a newfound appreciation for the game could well be a product of viewing it. Telecoms giant Digicel, which recently hosted a Kingston premiere, are certainly hoping for that and other positive effects as a prelude to the home series against Pakistan and India this summer.