"It was pretty interesting when I started this job. At that time it didn't seem like a big deal. You think, oh, I'm young and they might listen to me as a young person. I didn't know it would draw so much attention to me or that I might have any sort of leverage to what's going on," recalls Hanna one recent afternoon at Studio 2000, a recording studio, in New Kingston.

"I thought, ok, Minister Paulwell is my friend because I had met him when I was much younger and he told me he was the Technology Minister. Also, at that time we (he and his mother, Barbara Blake Hannah) were doing a lot of technology-related things. We were having a technology summer school call 'Tech School' and the minister came in to be like a Godfather to the programme because he thought it would be good for him to put his head into the soil and give his influence as the minister (I think). So, he appointed me and it was cool.. I like it.. I did a lot of stuff," adds Hanna whose long locks and moustach age him beyond his years. He turns 19 on February 6.

Shortly after he was appointed, he was invited to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for its 1998 Junior Summit. Three thousand children from various countries were invited to talk online about what they believe they could do to help enrich the world as young people. That 3,000 was narrowed down to 300 and then to 100 who were selected to go to MIT.

"It was really interesting because I met kids from all over the world and we got to have fun, speak about what we were going to do...so we set up an online United Nations. We got to interact with more people even had a conference and spoke to the (then) Vice President of the United States Al Gore.

"I was in the conference as an Information Technology and Education representative. I have been to many other places like Trinidad. Once I was invited by the Chamber of Commerce to do a youth forum for the kids of Trinidad so they invited most of the kids from each high school in Trinidad and brought them to the Hilton. We had a nice evening, even the minister was there and he gave a nice speech and everything but they said my forum drew more people, both young and old.

"I really enjoyed going across to other Caribbean islands and mingling with people from diverse cultures. I was also invited to Guyana by the Carter Centre (a nonpartisan public policy institute dedicated to fighting disease, poverty, conflict, and oppression founded by former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn), there I spent a week teaching them about information technology. I went to about 12 different schools... all Indian schools...all black people school. We taught technology (myself and my mother) for seven days, showing them stuff we were doing in Jamaica, linking them internationally with some of the people we were working with. Since the appointment, those are the kinds of things I have done, going around trying to enrich people with my own experience."

NO AGE BARRIER IN TECHNOLOGY

Hannah has also worked with Digicel, creating a Web site and made the first call on their network in Jamaica. He has been involved in activities like working with the United Nations (UN) as part of its steering committee for the Digital Diaspora Initiative. "Here we are trying to bring to computers, ICT, Initiative, developments, money and make a network throughout the entire Caribbean. It was done in Africa so we are trying to introduce it to the Caribbean."

As one of the representatives for Jamaica, he has been to the United Nations twice and did (what he thinks are) two good presentations. The first time he was invited to speak about himself and what has been going on in Jamaica to enrich technology. On the second occasion he spoke about Information Technology and its development through entertainment, which is what he's doing now.

"When it comes to technology, I have not faced any major challenges so far. In this field it is sort of different because you don't have to be of any age. My thing is that I've always been working with people way older than me, especially from an early age. So I've learnt how to deal with them and how to be a professional businessman. I think it's good because now I know how to take on my business ventures much more. I've also learnt that you need to have more control over what you do and say, so people don't drag you out as a young person. Because when you're younger people will try to influence you, so I'm happy that I have certain people around me and a good family structure to help guide me and build a solid foundation."

He attributes his successes to his mother, Barbara Blake Hannah. "Mommy is like the most influential person on what I do. She has done so much and she is well recognised but she is very firm. She does not do a job unless it's 100 or 150 per cent. I just take all the good things I see and love in her and adopt them as part of my life and that makes me a balanced person because she is a woman and I'm a boy child."

HITTING A MUSICAL NOTE

Life is not all about technology for Hannah, who was home-schooled. "As a child I grew up playing football and working on computers. I did some movies when I was younger, 'Kids Paradise I and II' along with some commercials. I was basically a young kid growing up and having fun."

He also has an aptitude for music, which he is pursuing. He has been making beats and writing songs since 1998 and has created, with two friends, Eric Dixon (engineer) and Damion Watson (an upcoming artiste), a company called Multicast (meaning to represent). Multicast Entertainment is a production company operated by and for young Jamaican artistes from Studio 2000 at 16 A Worthington Terrace, New Kingston.

"I've been in the music business for eight months now (properly) having my studio but I've been into music from I was a baby. My uncle had a studio and he and my dad used to do stage shows, dealing with the equipment and lighting, so I got to know a little about music. This was cool, since they had one of the biggest studios then, so, I learned engineering and music on the computer from an early age. Then in 1998 when Sean Paul, Kidd Curupt, et al, wanted to rent the studio, I just stuck around and learned a few things."

However Multicast Entertainment has grown bigger. "I just compiled one album for the Recording Industry Association of Jamaica and I have another album from my label (Multicast Entertainment) which consist of dub poems done by Multicast dub-poets. Eric Dixon, the instrumental guitarist, and I, the keyboard base player, produce the dup-poet album which will be sent to France. We hope to release it sometime this year."

For Hannah, who is a member of the board of directors for the Recording Association of Jamaica, computers are not just something he does for money but out of fun. "For example I can just lie down and put up my foot and tap keys - it's that simple for me".

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20040126/flair/flair3.html