BY KEVIN JACKSON Observer writer entertainment—
From left: Slashe is presented with the symbolic cheque by Culture Minister Olivia Grange, while Donovan Germain, producer of the winning song, shares in the occasion.
In 2004 Iceman entered the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Festival Song competition with the song Spirit of a Sufferer. He didn’t make it among the top three finalists.
Nineteen years later, having rebranded as Slashe, he returned to the competition with the entry Best in the World, which beat 10 other entries for the 2023 title at Saturday night’s grand finale at the National Arena.
Slashe, who is a well-known actor and comedian, said he was encouraged by veteran music producer Donovan Germain of Penthouse Music to re-enter the competition.
Germain is the producer of Best in the World, as well as Shuga’s Dancing Same Way, and Exco Levi’s Feel Like Home, which finished in second and third place respectively.
Slashe performs at the grand finals of the Jamaica Festival Song competition on Saturday night at the National Arena.
“I was encouraged by Donovan Germain, CEO of Penthouse, to enter the competition. He felt I had the ability to be impactful there so I wrote two songs, he selected his favorite, and here we are months later. [This is] so surreal,” Slashe disclosed in an interview with the Jamaica Observer on Sunday.
He explained what inspired his winning entry.
“I wanted to focus on the ancestral history of Jamaica, the freedom fighters, the liberators who helped to shape the freedoms we enjoy these days. Nanny, Tacky, Cudjoe, Paul Bogle, etc, these are the people who were on the battlefield to liberate their people and forge a new life of freedom, and the ability to hold our heads high as a race and nation of dignified people… chainless,” he said.
Slashe said that winning the Jamaica Festival Song competition signified that hard work does pay off.
“Winning the competition signifies that I have a lot to offer as an artiste. That Jamaica still has a feel for music that resonates culturally with them. That hard work really does pay off once you stay the course; and, whoa, did I stay it. That friends have become family; support is top tier in my book. That this competition was a barometer by which I measured my abilities as an artiste going forward, and I’m happy with my efforts and the drive God has reminded me I still have to ascertain higher heights,” he shared.
The singjay said friends and colleagues felt he had a shot at winning the song competition due to the strength of his entry. Still, he never once felt complacent.
“All my friends kept addressing me in this way throughout the process: “Waa gwaan winner?” My background singers [Nikki Bolt and Adena Myrie], fans, friends, just everyone, but I wouldn’t allow complacency to set in since the real work still had to be done… I campaigned to keep the votes going and the promotion, etc. I tried hard to stay humble and not let the feeling get to my brain, but I saw the impact the song was having on the listeners,” Slashe reasoned.
He recalled the moment his name was announced as winner.
“Just gratitude, king; just humility in soaking up the moment. Shuga and Exco Levi are my co-workers on the same label, and to see us get the trifecta like that was heart-warming. They are my friends, and we all work tirelessly in the pursuit of our dreams, so hearing my name called was the icing on the cake for us three,” he said.
Slashe shared that his musical journey began in church.
“I started singing at St Paul’s United Church in Montego Bay, where I’m originally from. My stylist, Carlton Brown, and the team that supported me the night of the competition, we all grew up together in the church and years later here we are. They gave me full support throughout the competition and at the final show. Believe it or not, Carlton and I were lead singers in a gospel group called Foundation. A number of the members were there last night as well to support me. That’s where it all began, in the church,” he said, real name Donald Anderson.
As the artiste Iceman, he recorded for Robert Livingston’s Big Yard label (now known as Scikron Big Yard Music) and released songs, among them Girls Invasion, Rosie, This Way to My Room, and Dancehall Vibes, which he said got a lot of traction locally and overseas.
“I sang Dancehall Vibes on my last overseas tour, and it went very well,” he shared.
Asked why he decided to rebrand and do away with the name Iceman, Slashe said: “Iceman represented a different kind of entertainer, actor and comedian. I have always taken my music very seriously, and so to move away from that name, and all that came with it, I had to rebrand myself musically. Slashe is a musical act and has been for many years. Europe caught on quicker, Jamaica is now bringing up the stagger re[garding] getting hip to the name-change and my musical abilities from a more wide-scaled perspective.”
As Iceman, he released an album titled Lion Reggae Playlist for the Roxstarz Entertainment label. He continues to release new music while trying to get fans more familiar with the name Slashe.
Said he: “I have fallen so deep in love with music; cannot tell a lie. It’s been such a challenging, turbulent journey in this music business for me, but I’m always betting on myself, knowing The Almighty could not have given me this plethora of talent for naught. Music has stolen my heart and I’m praying that this win will be the catalyst that drives me further to the mark of the overall success that I have sought over my entire music career.”
The Cornwall College alum told the Observer that, as a talent, he has done commercials for Flow and Izizi as well as Singer and Courts Jamaica. On stage he has also done plays such as Stanley and Fay, Pularchie and P, which earned him an Actor Boy Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role in 2011. Glass Slippaz, Dis Ting, The Seven Guitars, Schoolers 2 pantomime, and the play Hide Your Husband.
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