Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
The finalists and members of the organising team at the launch of the 2008 Festival Song Competition at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston, on Tuesday. - Nathaniel Stewart/Freelance Photographer
The slogan for this year's Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Festival Song Competition, 'What a Festival Bam Bam!', indicates not only a return to the contest's roots, but also its intention.
For, speaking at the contest's official launch at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston, on Tuesday evening, Director of Culture Sydney Bartley said "in an effort to recapture and recreate the feelings, passion and patriotism, the JCDC has decided to reintroduce the Festival Song Competition".
It had been known as the 'Popular Song Contest' for some years.
Therefore, the search is on, Bartley said, for a "new and original song that is reflective of the spirit of the Jamaican people", while the launch's host, Vernon Derby, said at the end that "we unda pressure - but we going to have fun".
So while the plan is for Jamaicans to have a 'bam bam', the slogan also indicates a return to the very earliest days of the competition, when Toots and The Maytals won with a song of that name in 1966.
Standouts
And Bartley pointed out that in its early days the Festival Song contest served as a platform for many who went on to become standouts in Jamaican popular culture, among them Toots and the Maytals, Eric Donaldson, the late Stanley Beckford and Desmond Dekker.
This year's entrants are Roy Rayon with Rise and Shine, Lynford McIntosh with Country Life, Michael Rutherford with Old Time Festival, DJ Speng with Sweet Jamaica, Versatile with We Need Love, The Astronauts with Mento Man, Clevon Edwards' Jamaica Little But We Tallawah, Dannny Brasko and Iya Simba with Festival Time Again, Zetto with Naw Lef Jamaica and Monty Montgomery with My Jamaica.
While there were snippets of the songs live at The Pegasus on Tuesday evening, the country will get the full-length versions live and direct in a series of 'Road Blocker' shows, at which the finalists will perform. The first is on Saturday, June 14, at Junction Square, St Elizabeth, followed by the Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium on Thursday, June 19. The Road Blocker series goes to Lieba Esso Tiger Mart in May Pen, Clarendon, on Friday, June 20, and is in Christiana, Manchester, the following day.
The June shows end at Fantasy Beach, Priory, St. Ann, on Sunday, June 29, Portland getting its 'live and direct' taste at the Port Antonio Square on Saturday, July 5. The series ends at the National Indoor Sports Centre, Kingston, on Saturday, July 12. All shows start at 8:00 p.m., except for the St. Ann edition which begins at 10:00 a.m.
The public will not have only a look at the finalists but also an input in who walks away with the $1 million top prize, through text-in voting.
That apart, though, as Vernon Derby said "dash whey all yu cares, yu no need no money".
