All singers, songwriters and music producers who are interested in entering the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s (JCDC) 2019 Jamaica Festival Song Competition will be elated to note that the deadline for entry for the competition has been extended to Monday, April 1.
The deadline extension is aimed at giving all potential participants additional time to further sharpen their entry songs.
According to Andrew Clunis, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at the JCDC: “The Jamaica Festival Song entry deadline was extended because we want participants to use the knowledge gained from our recently held regional workshops towards better preparing their entries.”
“Entries should encapsulate the Jamaican spirit and generate public interest as if selected it will provide the musical backdrop to this year’s Independence Festival,” Clunis added.
Clunis also highlighted that this year’s competition will feature a series of road shows and special performances, which will give the top ten finalists necessary exposure, while giving members of the public the opportunity to get to know the songs and the artistes.
“Additionally, we have now developed a full schedule of activities for the 2019 cycle of the competition, which will include a live semi-final concert, cross island tour and a corporate area motorcade,” Clunis said.
Persons interested in entering the competition can access entry forms and competition guidelines on the JCDC website at www.jcdc.gov.jm, at the JCDC Head Office at 3-5 Phoenix Avenue in Kingston or at any JCDC Parish Office island-wide. Entries can be from any genre of Jamaican music, and must capture the Jamaican spirit and promote patriotism.
The Jamaica Festival Song 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 programme 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, Desmond Decker, Eric Donaldson, Roy Rayon and Stanley Beckford.
