Kingston, Jamaica: Known throughout the performing arts circles for their musical expertise, the Charlemont High School out of St. Catherine now has another award to add to burgeoning trophy case. On Wednesday, September 19 Charlemont beat five other schools from across the island to win the inaugural Jamaica Customer Service Song Competition.
"We are elated to have won, we worked hard with the students and we are excited for this awesome opportunity,” said Mr. Nigel Powell, Creative Director and Head of Music at Charlemont and the chief person behind the school's high standing within the music field.
“The song was a collaboration between myself and one of our remarkable past students and JCDC Performing Arts veteran, Kevan Clarke. We did our research and made sure to include all of the qualities of great Customer service in the song," Powell continued.
A partnership between the Jamaica Customer Service Association (JCSA) and the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), the Jamaica Customer Service Song Competition was developed as a creative avenue to express the importance of Customer Service and its role in moving the nation forward, holistically.
The Competition, which targets youth entrants from both Primary and Secondary Schools across the island, requires competitors to create an original song with lyrics reflecting Customer Service best practices under the JCSA’s 2018 National Customer Service Week theme “BE THE MAGIC: The Making of Memorable Customer Service Experiences”
Held at the Louise Bennett Garden Theatre at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, the original song competition saw the six competitors- Cornwall College, Ardenne High, Brown’s Town High, Godfrey Stewart High, St. Catherine High and Charlemont trying to out-sing each other using the Customer Service tenants, in keeping with the mandate issued by the JCSA. Songs were judged on both their lyrics and their musicality.
In addition to the first place title for their song Be the Magic, Charlemont also took home a cash award to $80,000. Ardenne High took home the second place trophy for their song Customer Service is the Key, while Cornwall College came third with their song Give Thanks to Customer Service.
“The students did exceedingly well this afternoon and should be proud of themselves. Each of these entries that were performed here today will help to foster the development and understanding of customer service, thus engendering and nurturing positive behaviour and attitudes,” said Interim Executive Director at the JCDC, Orville Hill.
“It is our hope that this in turn will promulgate positive messages that will help to transform the society and more importantly that youth will establish a greater awareness and bond with Customer Service.” Hill said.
Echoing his sentiments was Chairman of the JCSA Dr. Nsombi Jaja, who stated “I was amazed at the talent that was expressed and how the schools have taken the themes and have used it in their songs. All the schools were winners, every single one and it is really a pity that we have to select one two and three, but today again reaffirmed for me today how talented we are as a people and that if we focus on the good in who we are, it is amazing where we can take this country.”
The students talents weren't the only ones on display at the Competition's finals as one of the top three finalists in the 2018 Digicel Rising Stars, Tasha-Gay Solomon gave a memorable guest performance.
