Isaacs eyes the prize
The Jamaica Observer’s Entertainment Desk continues its series of stories on the Jamaica Festival Song Competition which is marking its 55th anniversary milestone.
SINGER Kimiela “Candy” Isaacs sees herself as the possible winner of this year’s Jamaica Festival Song Competition.
“I’m very confident. My chances of winning are just as great as anyone else’s,” said Isaacs, who was born visually impaired.
“Unlike other performers who can run up and down on the stage, if I tried that, my back would probably be turned to the audience. Therefore, I have to find other ways of ensuring that I make my performances memorable,” she continued.
Her entry is titled Birthday Bash
JA, produced by Sidney Thorpe. She is one of 12 finalists.
A former graduate of Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston, Isaacs was a finalist in the 2009 staging of the Jamaica Gospel Song Competition.
She said the chorus of Birthday Bash JA was written two years ago. However, she was waiting for the right time.
“I said at some point I was going to enter, and this year, after the festival launch I got so excited and I called Sidney and asked his opinion on the chorus and after about five minutes, I came up with the rest of lyrics of the song,” she told the Jamaica Observer.
This year’s other entrants are: I-octane (Land We Love); Stacious (Jamaican Spirit); Fab 5 (Unwind); Lutan Fyah (Jah Mek Yah); 2011 Jamaica Festival Song Competition winner Everton Pessoa (Celebration – Wet Sugar); DB (Love Jamaica My Land), Tamo J (Real Talk – Jamrock); Dez-i Boyd (Rumba Box); Reggae Maxx (Sweet Jamaica); Althea Hewitt
(Jamaica Nice); and, Father Reece
(Jamaican Talawah).
As one of three women in the competition, Isaacs added that there is some amount of pressure to deliver.
“Because it’s a man’s thing, we have to work twice as hard but it’s not severe pressure,” she said.
The singer also said she feels honoured to be competing against well-known acts.
“I feel excited to be among the greatest. I’m not intimidated at all.
It’s just a good feeling to be a part of this,” she said.
The public began selecting their winning song through telephone voting which started on July 5. Television Jamaica will introduce the finalists to the public on July 15, while July 22 is slated for the televised final.
Buju Banton was last year’s winner with the song I am a Jamaican.