Congratulations to Mr Campbell and vocalist Abi D for their winning entry in the 2025 Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Festival Song Competition. “Sweet JA” is the official soundtrack for Jamaica 63 Independence!
Desmond Dekker. Toots & The Maytals. Eric Donaldson. Buju Banton. The impressive list of JCDC Festival Song composers and producers now includes a name we know and respect well, Alpha School of Music Lecturer, Evad Campbell.
Since 1966, the Jamaica Festival Song Competition has been a platform for aspiring artistes, songwriters and producers to showcase their talent and celebrate the spirit of the Jamaican people. JCDC guidelines requires that the “rhythm must be Jamaican” and encourages producers to create music compositions with “mass appeal”.
For the 2025 competition, Mr Campbell’s first time participating, he collaborated with singer-songwriter, Abigail ‘Abi D’ Dunstan to produce a heartfelt tribute to Jamaica’s beauty, warmth, and resilience. “Sweet JA” is the result!
“It is an honour to be a part of history as youth among so many of Jamaica’s musical legends,” says Campbell. “I’m grateful to have collaborated with Abi-D to capture the essence of Jamaica sonically and bring the vision of the song to life. The support and love show has been overwhelming. I am so grateful.”
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Abi D is an ensemble member of the Ashe Company and graduate of Ardenne High School in Kingston. She is currently a student at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. IG @1_abi.d
In addition to lecturing in music performance and audio technology at the Alpha School of Music, Evad Campbell is a professional keyboardist, musical director and arranger. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Evad has toured the world with artists such as Romain Virgo, Tessanne Chin, and Marcia Griffiths. His musical arrangements have been performed by the Ashe Company, The Voice Box Performing Arts, UWI Panoridim and the Bethel Steel Orchestra. In 2024, he received the Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Excellence in Music. IG @evadcampbell
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