SHOULD THINGS go as planned, later this year the first compilation of songs from the National Festival Song and Popular Song competitions should be available to the public.
The project is being organised by guitarist Maurice Gordon.
Last year, Jamaica celebrated its 40th year of independence. At the top of the list of achievements which were celebrated, were the leaps taken by Jamaican music. The Festival and Popular Song competitions have been a very significant part of the development of that music.
According to Gordon, he is proposing to produce a series of compilations. The series will be titled Jamaica Time featuring Maurice Gordon: Celebrating Festival. Volume one should be released later this year.
Gordon related that due to the value of the music to be included on the CD it will be "...essential to Jamaica and Jamaican music lovers all over the world."
Of course, several of these songs have had a lasting impact on the memories of Jamaicans and other nationals over the years. However, what Gordon is presenting is not merely a compilation of the winning songs in their original forms. Instead, with the help of several other musicians, Jamaica Time will feature instrumental interpretations of songs from the first 10 years of the competition. The featured songs will be the winning songs 'and follow-up popular songs'.
The winning songs to be featured on volume one are: Bam Bam Toots and The Maytals; Baba Boom Boom The Jamaicans; Intensified Desmond Dekker; Sweet and Dandy Toots and The Maytals; Boom Shaka Laka Hopeton Lewis; Cherry Oh Baby Eric Donaldson; Pomps and Pride Toots and the Maytals; Jump In Line Morvin Brooks; Play Di Music Tinga Stewart; and Hooray Festival - Roman Stewart.
Additional popular songs which will also be included are Lord Creator's Independent Jamaica; Derek Morgan's Forward March; Al and the Vibrator's Move Up; Desmond Dekker's Unity; Junior Byles' Da Da Da; Billy Dyce's Unity is Love and the unplugged nyabinghi version of Bam Bam featuring the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari.
Musicians working on this project include Dean Frazer (saxophone), Tony Ruption Williams (drums), Nambo Robinson (trombone), Gibby Morrison (bass) and Glen Browne (bass).
A CD booklet which he says will contain informative liner notes will also accompany the CD.
