KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) will be hosting a series of development seminars to boost the quality of the songs and the chances of the prospective entrants for the 2020 Festival Song competition.
The workshops are to target songwriters, performers, and producers who believe they can deliver the song will be featured as pasty of Jamaica’s 58th Independence celebrations.
The seminars will be in four regions, Northern, Central, Western and Eastern between January 31 to February 7.
According to the JCDC, seminar participants can expect to learn the rudiments of the music business, techniques and approaches as they prepare their songs for this year’s competition.
Director of marketing and public relations at the JCDC Andrew Clunis said: “We treat these seminars very seriously. There is a wealth of knowledge to be gained in the areas of songwriting, composition, vocal delivery, production, image and branding and other areas. Aspiring artists should not miss out on these free sessions as they can make a very [good] contribution to kick-starting their careers.”
Chairman of the Jamaica Festival Song Organizing Committee Orville Hill said: “The Festival Song’ is the oldest song competition in Jamaica; it is also the only original song competition and the best-paying competition. This year we want to make a very bold statement and so we want persons to come to these workshops and benefit from the knowledge and ensure they get their entries in by the closing date of February 28.”
Last year’s Festival Song Competition winner was Raldene “Loaded Eagle” Dyer with Big Up Jamaica.
The competition is one of the longest-running original song competitions in Jamaica and continues to unearth and showcase several talented individuals each year. A signature program of the JCDC, an agency of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, this competition, which started in 1966, continues to serve as a musical platform for cultural exposition and for entrants to make an indelible mark on Jamaica and the world.
The competition boasts past winners like Toots and the Maytals, Tommy Cowan and the Jamaicans, Desmond Decker, Eric Donaldson, Roy Rayon and Stanley Beckford.
