As a ‘die-hearted’ Jamaican, Donna Burnett says she is disturbed by the lack of order and community in her homeland. Known as singjay Lady Donna, she lays out her feelings in Concerned Citizen, a self-produced song released in April.
Lady Donna, who has lived in the United States for over 35 years, noticed a decline in Jamaica’s social norms 20 years ago. She visits the country “every three months” and believes its country’s politicians have allowed the rot to worsen.
“The lack of love and unity. Too much bad mind. Not enough good thoughts and feelings for each other,” she observed.
Released by her Osujah Records, Concerned Citizen hears Lady Donna appealing to Jamaica’s political leaders to present solutions to chronic crime and poverty, two of the country’s perennial problems.
The economic situation, she noted, has not changed in terms of social strata.
“If given the opportunity through leadership with vision and empathy, that develops its people and manages resources to provide growth, wealth, health and security for the entire country, not just the elite few, then we would see a different Jamaica,” Lady Donna stressed.
She added that that would put “an end to brain drain, and Jamaicans all over the world would be rushing home to build and support their ‘bornland’.”
There was a communal spirit throughout Jamaica during the 1970’s when Lady Donna was a teenager. She was raised in Jones Town, a working-class community in Kingston, the Jamaican capital.
While living in New York during the 1980’s and 1990’s, she recorded songs intermittently while holding a nine-to-five job. Four years ago, she revived her music career by starting Osujah Records which is based in rural St. Ann parish.
The label has released songs by several homegrown artists such as singjay Anaicon.
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