JCDC reaches out: Gospel song competition to have outreach component this year

Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's Gospel Song Competition has returned with an outreach component that is being lauded by the organisers and the competitors.

When The Sunday Gleaner caught up with Leighton Jones, coordinator for the competition, he said the contestants would be going into different children's homes as part of the initiative.

"When we go to the parishes for the roadshows, we are going to be having children outreach. We will be going into children's home, we are going to do ministry with the children, counselling sessions, our sponsors are on board with us in taking tokens to them, we will be praying with them and we are going to be having concerts. We will just be bringing joy to their lives," he said.

He said the contestants would be going to Windsor Child Care Facility in St Ann on July 3 and Hanbury Home in Manchester on July 10. At the homes, Jones said the contestants would see more than 130 children. He also noted that other homes might be visited but that that had not been confirmed.

Jones said, while he felt there was a need to include community outreach as part of the contest this year, contestants were also anxious to help.

"We have been losing quite a number of our young people, not that they have been dying, but many of them have been losing their way. We want to try and reach out to them. They (contestants) really wanted us to do outreach, they even wanted to go to some of the prisons," he told The Sunday Gleaner.

Miriam Levy, one of the contestants, said she was pleased with the new addition.

"It's good. I am looking forward to all of them, both onstage and interacting with the people. We will be going to some children's homes. We are going to pray with them, play with them and encourage them. I am looking forward to all of that because I am a children person," said the singer, who is the sister of last year's winner Lubert Levy and mother of gospel artiste Kevin Downswell.

Fellow contestant Terrence Myers is also happy with it but hopes there will be more.

"I think it is a very good idea and I think we should have had more sponsors coming on board to support something like this. Seeing the way things are with the economy right now, we are grateful for all the persons that have joined us with this. I am looking forward to it and I am very excited about it," he said.

The other contestants are Ann Marie Laing, Tiffany Hall, Ancient Priest, Raylene Lindo, Murron Lindo, Omar Douglas, God Son and Micah Ministry.

Competitive year

Moving to the competition, Jones said, this year promises to be very competitive.

"This year is very good actually, they (contestants) are feeding off last year's competition. We can only improve on what last year was and it was a fabulous event," he said.

Jones said he was impressed with the ability of the contestants to learn.

Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, minister of youth, sports and culture, also spoke highly of the contestants.

"I think we have 10 excellent songs. Anybody who is selected is going to have a song that can bless us, that can heal this nation. I think all the contestants, songwriters and performers have come forward to present a newness, a freshness, a spiritual renewal. I am looking forward to the winning song being selected and for that song to be the rallying call when we have our gospel performers minister to this nation," she told The Sunday Gleaner.

While grateful for the attention that the competition has received thus far, Jones believes there is room for improvement.

Grange also believes there was work to be done to garner support for the already growing competition.

After going to the roadshows and children's homes, the contestants will compete at the national finals at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, St Andrew, on July 25, starting at 6 p.m. They will be judged on lyrics, arrangement and performance.