The Jamaica Festival Song Competition is making its last call for entries for its Jamaica 60 Diamond Jubilee staging, as the competition’s Friday, March 18 entry deadline fast approaches.
According to the competition’s Committee Chairman Mr. Orville Hill, this is the final week for persons to get their entries in on the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s (JCDC) website www.jcdc.gov.jm.
“We had previously extended the deadline to this Friday, March 18 to accommodate some of our entrants who had requested additional time to tighten up their entries, so at this point, our entrants should be finalizing their tracks and making the final edits on their lyrics sheets,” Hill said.
“This is a special year for the Festival Song Competition as it is our Diamond Jubilee, so we are looking for a memorable, festive, and patriotic song that can tie the yearlong Jamaica 60 Independence celebrations together and help to unite Jamaicans across the globe.”
“Plus, we have over three million dollars ($3M) in cash and prizes to be won, so we are calling on both our upcoming and established artistes to get their entries in before it’s too late,” he continued.
The competition, which is open to all Jamaicans 18 years and older, has produced many notable Reggae artistes over its almost six decades, while also cementing its place on the annual independence celebrations roster for Jamaicans both at home and abroad.
Persons interested in entering the competition should note that their digital entry will require them to upload an MP3 file format of their entry song as well as an adjoining lyric sheet to the JCDC’s website. Each entry also carries a $1000 JMD fee. Additional information regarding the competition’s rules and guidelines may also be found on the JCDC’s website.
The Jamaica Festival Song Competition, which was first staged in 1966, has helped to launch and advance the careers of some of Jamaica’s most acclaimed singers and songwriters. Winners of the competition have included Toots and the Maytals, Desmond Decker, Eric Donaldson, Roy Rayon, Stanley Beckford as well as the newest 2020 and 2021 winners Reggae superstar Buju Banton and Dancehall dynamite ‘Stacious’ respectively.
