by Howard Campbell
SOUTH FLORIDA – Since first making his mark 10 years ago with Close to You, Kevin Downswell has become one of the faces of Jamaican gospel music. That song and album announced an artist determined to reach out to a secular market.
Recently, Downswell launched Realignment: The Live Encounter, his fourth album. The in-concert set was recorded in July, 2017 at Jamaica College in Kingston.
It contains Close to You, Change is Coming, You Make me Stronger and If It’s Not You, which have endeared him to a non-gospel audience.
Downswell is a fixture on the Jamaican live show scene and performs regularly in US cities with large Jamaican communities. But, like American superstars Kirk Franklin and Donnie McClurkin early in their careers, he yearns for a wider following.
“Right now we are organizing a global tour we want to start in October. We want to reach as many people as possible with this message,” said Downswell, who launched ‘Realignment’ at VP Records Miramar office on September 15.
With the influential Tuff Gong International as distributors, Downswell sees his music going further than before. One market he has his sights on is Africa, especially South Africa, Kenya and Uganda where Jamaican dancehall acts have done well in the last decade.
The US market, which has been extremely receptive to gospel artists like Franklin and Tramaine Hawkins, is also on Downswell’s radar.
“We do a lot of marketing in America. With technology, we get the message across easier and the response so far has been great,” he said.
His proposed global tour is also expected to make stops on the US East Coast, Memphis, North and South Carolina, and New England.
Once dominated by traditional acts like the Grace Thrillers, Jamaican gospel music has evolved since the late 1990s when a number of secular performers converted to Christianity. Carlene Davis, Papa San, Chevelle Franklyn, Stitchie and Junior Tucker were some of those converts.
In recent years, Lady Saw, Wayne Marshall and Alaine have either converted or expressed spirituality in their songs.
