Jai Kingston returns to ‘His Voice’
TWO YEARS after Jamaican gospel recording artiste Wayne Buchanan rebranded himself as Jai Kingston, instead of simply Jai, he has returned to songwriting, recording and producing tracks, pending the release of his sophomore album, His Voice.
It has been 10 years since his first album, Best Friend, was released for Image Records.
Most of Jai Kingston’s singles have been written and co-produced by him. Previously released I Surrender, Leaving Babylon, Save Me and Rags to Riches will also be on the album.
“It is important for me to be a part of the production, whether or not a rhythm is created by me or if a track is written by me, as the songs act as testimonies to my life story, personal struggles and achievements with the help of the Holy Spirit,” said Jai Kingston.
The most recently released, Send Judah First, is the first single since his rebranding in 2015. The song has a different message and style of music. Send Judah First encourages listeners to speak to God, no matter their experiences. Jai Kingston’s smooth, yet powerful voice, flows over percussions and is backed by intermittent chants somewhat similar to the Afrobeat genre of music.
“Send Judah First is a song of victory, triumph and overcoming struggles by putting God first. It is a song of proclamation and a prophetic message to speak hope into being ... that is, by way of running to the higher being to make a way,” said Jai Kingston. “It’s now a song that I sing through all of these situations,” he continued.
Jai Kingston has shared the stage with gospel artistes and lyrical preachers like Israel Houghton, Marvin Sapp, Jonathan Nelson and Jessica Reedy throughout his career. During the two-year break from recording, the artiste toured the Caribbean, Africa, the United Kingdom and USA to perform with some of these performers, although his main interests were not focused on the music.
“The long gap was basically refocusing and kind of coming up with new strategies and ways that I could impact the generation of now. I think the break helped with my growth, both musically and intellectually, in terms of the industry and marketing,” he said.
BIBLICAL INSPIRATION
His newest single, Send Judah First, is a product of his recently acquired knowledge, which the gospel artiste also says “was inspired by the verses of 2 Chronicles 20.
“As I send praises up, the will power is provided by God. Having an independent label is no easy task, so from time to time, I have to go back, look into what works or does not work, thus setting new goals and new objectives,” he said.
The gospel artiste is currently focused on building the brand of Image Records through personal projects, but will soon open up the label to include other productions for gospel artistes.
No date has been set for the release of His Voice, but a few tracks may be recreated or remixed for inclusion on the album.