Winning song to receive $3m prize—
Stacious—
The finalists for the 2021 Jamaica Festival Song Competition have been named and include dancehall-reggae artistes Stacious and I-Octane and legendary reggae and soca band, Fab 5. But, instead of the customary 1o, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) selection panel, led by chief judge Donovan Germain, has selected 12 finalists for the professional competition, which is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year.
“The 12 finalists represent a wide cross section of genres that will appeal to a wide audience. We want the winning song to be on the lips of every man, woman and child this Independence and beyond,” said Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange in a release.
She said she was “very pleased that so many outstanding performers, writers and producers have entered the Jamaica Festival Song Competition this year; and that three women were among the finalists”.
‘DELIBERATE AND STRATEGIC’ MOVE
Heralding the growing interest in the competition, Grange said it resulted from “a deliberate and strategic initiative to revitalize the annual Jamaica Festival”. The chairman of the Jamaica Festival Song committee of the JCDC, Orville Hill, said, “this group of finalists represents a great mix of emerging and experienced talent that will be on display for the Jamaican people.”
The Jamaica Festival Song Competition is the only professional competition staged as part of Jamaica Festival. The top 12 songs in this year’s competition will be available for purchase and streaming on 30 digital platforms across the world. The winning song will receive a prize of $3 million to be shared among the producer, the writer and the singer. Other prizes will be announced. The public will select the winning song through telephone voting, which will begin on July 5.
In the absence of islandwide roadshows, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has engaged national radio and television stations and social media to bring the finalists and their entries to the public. Television Jamaica will broadcast two virtual shows with the finalists on July 15 and 22.
The 2021 Jamaica Festival Song Competition is sponsored by the CHASE Fund, Digicel and the Jamaica Biscuit Company.
Buju Banton won the 2020 Jamaica Festival Song Competition with his entry I am a Jamaican. The Grammy Award winner, through his foundation, donated the $3 million prize to the St Catherine-based Sunbeam Boys’ Home.
TOP 12 FINALISTS
Jamaican Spirit – Stacious
Jah Mek Yah – Ernie Wilks
Land We Love – I-Octane
Love Jamaica My Land – DB
Real Talk ( Jamrock ) – Tamo J
Rumba Box – Dez- I Boyd
Sweet Jamaica – Reggae Maxx
Unwind – Fab 5
Birthday Bash JA – Candy
Celebration (wet sugar) – Pessoa
Jamaica Nice – Althea Hewitt
Jamaican Talawah – Father ReeceShare
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