Kingston, Jamaica: Raldene ‘Loaded Eagle’ Dyer’ is the 2019 Jamaica Festival Song Winner.
His winning song, Big Up Jamaica, will become the soundtrack for Jamaica’s 57th Anniversary of Independence, which is being celebrated under the theme One Nation, One People.
Dyer took home the coveted title at the 2019 Jamaica Festival Song Competition’s free Grand Final concert which was held on Saturday at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in Kingston.
In addition to winning the competition and its respective $1 million cash award, Dyer, took home the award for Writer of the Winning Song, which also carried $1 million cash award, as well as the sectional prizes for Best Performance and Best Vocalist, which carry a cash award of $300 000 each.
Second place in the competition and its respective cash award of $400 000 went to Alero ‘Alley Bless’ Perrier with Her song Queen Jamaica.
While third place and it’s respective cash award of $250 000 went to Jerome ‘Jay Smith’ Smith for his song Embassy Appointment, which also saw him receiving the sectional award for Most Popular on Social Media, and its respective cash award of $300 000.
Beginning at 8:00 pm, the Grand Final concert saw all 11 of the competition’s finalists going head to head in a battle of performances.
The other finalists who competed for the title were: Edwin Meyers with Piece A Jamaica, Jason ‘Iya Concord’ Wright with Hero Fight; Percival “Dharma” Lord with A Jamaica We Love; Escarpment Road New Testament Church of God Choir with Jamaica Bless; Nickoy ‘Shawn-D’ Green with Sweet Jamaica; Nester ‘Humility’ Chung with Battlefield; Vernon ‘Ramize’ Smith with Jamaica Fi Life; and Meckedah ‘McKada’ Henry with Love for Jamaica.
ABOUT THE WINNER:
Raldene ‘Loaded Eagle’ Dyer
Reggae and Dancehall artiste Raldene ‘Loaded Eagle’ Dyer became interested in the music industry younger than most. Born in Steer Town, St. Ann, Dyer’s love for music first sparked when he witnessed his mother singing on the church choir. Now an energetic performer, Dyer is a seasoned artiste in the dancehall arena as both vocalist and professional dancer. In 1998, Dyer, then a member of Cosby Kids, entered the JCDC Performing Arts National Finals in the area of Dance, placing first in their class. Loaded Eagle began his solo recording career in 2005 with “Nowadays” a local hit that won him much notoriety in St. Ann. He is currently collaborating with producer Lenworth “Jupiter Phillips” Phillpots, with whom he teamed up for his festival song entry “Big Up Jamaica”.
A signature programme of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), an Agency of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Jamaica Festival Song Competition started in 1966, and 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, Desmond Decker, Eric Donaldson, Roy Rayon, Heather Grant and Stanley Beckford.
The 2019 Jamaica Festival Song Competition is sponsored by Tastee, Geoland, Lasco Money, JF MILLS, Shirley Biscuits, Shades of Africa, and Jamaica Corporate Credit Union League (JCCUL)
