Jasmine Barnes fulfilling a lifetime dream
Jasmine Barnes forced Jamaicans to take note of her vocal prowess when she entered the Digicel Rising Stars competition 1n 2017 and placed third. Being a performer was a childhood dream of hers, and four years since her entry in the competition, her passion to dominate the stage remains strong.
“When I was 12, my mother asked me ‘what do you want to be’. I responded confidently, that I wanted to be a singer, only to hear her say, ‘pick something else’ and I did. Law was my next choice, only because I loved to read and debate on topics, and was also on the debate team, but it wasn’t me,” Barnes told THE WEEKEND STAR.
Barnes hails from Trench Town in St Andrew, a community with a rich musical history and dubbed the birthplace of reggae music.
“Music runs through my veins; my dad is a producer based in New York. People always ask why I don’t let him produce my music, but I only got to know him after high school — plus his plate is full — I am one of 36 children for him. So, I continue to pursue my dream while working for Sandals’ entertainment in Westmoreland — I am singing for a living and very involved in the activities.”
Looking back at her Rising Stars journey, Barnes said that one of the greatest lessons she has learnt is that one must never give up on their dreams. After being eliminated earlier in the competition, she was chosen by ‘bad cop’ judge Anthony Miller as his wildcard contestant.
“I dropped out in top nine and was brought back the same night — it was an awe moment — showing me that people recognise that I am good at what I do and that I should not give up on something I love doing,” she said.
Barnes said that at the time of entering the competition, she was working at Sandals but resigned when she made it to the top five.
“I was recently asked to come back and join the team,” she said.
In 2017, her rendition of Beyoncé’s Run the World may not have been strong enough for her to make it to the top two that year. Four years on, Barnes aims to manifest the lyrics of the song in the path she is on.
“My name was not a brand before Digicel Rising Stars, but I left knowing I have become a brand and plan to build on it,” she said.
As part of the Manifesto Jamaica Music Mentorship Programme, she recorded two songs, Stoplight with Andre Shakes and Georgina Smith, and Realise with Emanie Rhooms, which were recently released.