The Jamaica International Independence Foreign Song Competition is ready to take votes on fan favorites among the up-and-coming musicians who have submitted songs to the organization’s panel of experts and their peers. The competition is designed as a celebration of Jamaica and the creation of reggae music. Voting has opened to select seven finalists and will continue through June 30, 2022, at 11 pm. Voters can submit one vote per contestant per email every 24 hours on the JIIFSC website.
The semi-finalist songs and singers are:
Mama Jamaica by Singer Irie
Irie by Goddyson
Gi Mi Black Green And Gol by Ms Tania Lou
Jamaica Holiday by Bobby Dockery
Jamaica Rise N Shine by Lavie Lujah
Love Jamaica by St Paul
I Miss You Jamaica by Nikki Spice
Celebrate by George Prophet
Villians and Heros by Triggarnom
Island In The Sun by Ras T Asheber
Dumpling Plane by Snappa Chef
Ahh Jamaica by Akinsanya
https://youtu.be/rNF8W-6x00s
The competition is open to any Jamaican-born artist or any artist of Jamaican descent who lives outside of Jamaica and are 18 years of age or older. Competitors pay an entry fee of US$150. All songs must be original and created just for the Jamaica International Independence Foreign Song Competition, and they must reflect the island’s culture and include an “international flavor.” Twelve songs are chosen for the preliminary round, and seven songs are chosen for the finals. The final winners will be selected by a panel of five judges. Artists may perform live or in a virtual environment, and the finals may be either virtual or in a live forum. Artists who enter the competition may not enter the same song in another competition during the period in which the Jamaican International Independence Competition is running.
The First Prize Winner will receive US$8,000 and a trophy, Second Prize is US$4,000 and a trophy, and Third Prize will receive US$1,000.
Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, has announced that there will be no Festival Song Competition in 2022, so the song selected as the winner of the Jamaica International Independence Foreign Song Competition is likely to be the one that will represent Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of independence for most people.
Update: On June 14th, 2022 Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange announuced at the Jamaica Diaspora conference that there will be a Festival Song Competition in 2022.
Photo – Deposit Photos
