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Judges Ready to Select the Jamaica International Independence Festival Song Competition Winner

by Howard Campbell

[ATLANTA] – It’s all systems go for the second Jamaica International Independence Festival Song Competition (JIIFSC), scheduled for July 30 at Shiloh High School in Snellville,  Georgia.

Seven finalists representing Canada and the United States are competing for the winner’s prize of $8,000. They are last year’s victor, Lavie Lujah, with Jamaica Rise N Shine; his Canadian counterpart, Ms Tania Lou with Gi mi Black Green n Gold; as well as the United States entrants — Nikki Spice (I Miss You Jamaica); George Prophet (Celebrate); Goddy Son (Irie); and Bobby Dockery (Jamaica Holiday).

Jamaica International Independence Festival Song Competition - Nikki Spice

Garfield McCook - Jamaica International Independence Foreign Song Competition
Garfield McCook

Garfield McCook, conceptualizer of the event, is confident of a good show.

“All seven finalists will be in attendance. They will be judged from a clean slate. The five judges have been given their orders,” he said. “Our Jamaican culture will be on display. There will be two guest artists, one will perform reggae and the other gospel-reggae. We will have a poet highlighting our home, Jamaica, in the dialect we have grown to love.”

Prospects for the JIIFSC have to be either Jamaicans living outside of their birth country or have Jamaican heritage. Lavie Lujah,  who is from St. Elizabeth parish in southern Jamaica,  won last year with Certified Yardie.

The runner-up will receive $4,000 and third place $1,000.

The JIIFSC final takes place two days after the Festival Song Competition in Jamaica.  The latter, first held in 1966, is one of the highlights of the country’s independence celebrations.

 

South Florida Caribbean News

The SFLCN.com Team provides news and information for the Caribbean-American community in South Florida and beyond.

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