KINGSTON, Jamaica – Despite its economic and social upheavals, Dr. Trevor Smith’s patriotism for Jamaica is unbridled. So much, that the University of the West Indies (UWI) professor dedicated his first song to his homeland.
Luv U Jamaica is the title of his debut single, which was released on June 1. It came out during a knotty debate among the country’s politicians about dual citizenship.
Dr. Trevor Smith
“My level of patriotism to Jamaica stands at 100 per cent, if I am to put a number to it. And if I’m to describe it in words, I’d say I’m loyal, devoted, pledge my support and carry a zeal of enthusiasm towards my country,” said Smith, a professor of marketing and consumer behavior at the UWI.
While most of his life has been devoted to academia, Smith has long been an admirer of reggae acts like Dennis Brown and classic American R&B groups such as The Temptations and The Chi Lites.
His penchant for singing during breaks from lectures earned him the nickname, The Singing Professor, from colleagues.
Luv U Jamaica was released at the height of a constitutional rift between the governing Jamaica Labour Party and the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) about the dual citizenship status of some of their members.
PNP leader, Mark Golding, was born in Jamaica but holds a British passport. Because Jamaica is a member of the British Commonwealth, under Jamaican law, he is eligible to sit in parliament but cannot be prime minister.
The PNP have also questioned the dual citizenship of some government representatives.
Smith was born in the seaside town of Falmouth in Trelawny, western Jamaica. He has degrees from two Florida universities — a masters in business administration from Barry University and doctorate in business from Nova Southeastern University.
His allegiance to Jamaica is unquestionable.
“I therefore felt duty-bound to write and sing this song to articulate some of the positives about Jamaica,” he said.
