Andre Jebbinson, Staff Reporter
Donaldson
THE PERENNIAL entrant Eric Donaldson is the only man who has walked away with Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), National Festival Song title seven times, a feat not likely to be repeated. "I feel like a champion. A someting mi really work hard for and it come true," Donaldson said.
The competition has changed its format since his winning days, but this star is not likely to be forgotten anytime soon. The king of the competition first entered in 1971 when he saw an advertisement in a newspaper. He had been a vocalist for the by then defunct West Indian band, which recorded songs such as Oh Lord, Slot Machine and Real Cool Operator, which failed to connect. But with the demise of West Indian, Donaldson thought the festival song competition might just be the first stepping stone to a solo career.
EXPECTED HIT
"I gave Cherry Oh Baby to Derrick Morgan, but him choose another song (Rock I) over it," Donaldson said. However, Donaldson liked and believed in the song he composed and knew it could be a hit. After Johnny Too Bad, a song recorded by The Slickers in the '70s, again got chosen over Cherry Oh, it became clear what he had to do. After having Cherry Oh Baby rejected for a second time in 1970, he decided he would wait until the following year to enter the popular song contest.
"In myself, I did predict it as a winner. The Inner Circle band did also like the song and pick it as a winner the first time dem hear it," Donaldson said.
On the night of the final show, reports surfaced that a rowdy crowd yelled "go home country man" when Donaldson first took the stage. However, the simple but moving Cherry Oh Baby instantly commanded the attention of those in attendance. Patrons rushed to the stage, hoisted Donaldson on to their shoulders and declared him the "biggest superstar in Jamaica for a long time".
He would go on to win six more times, but none was quite like the first, which was also the first of two winners written by the performer. "The others were good too. When him (Winston Wallace) come wid Land of My Birth mi seh yes, dis a di anthem of Jamaica," Donaldson said.
The Jamaican adage "too much a one ting mek man tun good fi noting" started to take effect on the Mr. Festival. Donaldson said he started to shun away from writing songs as the murmurs grew about his frequents wins. "Boy, sometimes mi give it a break fi couple years when John Public a seh 'him win too much time'. Sometimes mi all embarrass fi guh on di stage," he said.
His impressive résumé kept songwriters knocking on his door, but the deliberate Donaldson was not about to succumb to just any song; it had to meet the standards that precede the name. "It is all about the right lyrics, melody and beat. Because right now is beat people really dancing after," he said.
Careful song selection and an unmatched falsetto by Donaldson produced other hits like Sweet Jamaica, Join Di Line and Proud To Be Jamaican.
But the lyrics, melody and beat that Donaldson is accustomed to presenting was the format that the JCDC did away with recently. "I like seh dem change the musical content. First time, it was like the same chord every year ... but this thing could live on if dem did make it open to all singers in the first place," he said.
A somewhat unfortunate turn of event had Donaldson feeling the brunt of being stuck in the festival song genre. Despite having 26 albums, the perceived one-dimensional artiste has received little recognition for any of the albums which explore other genres. His credentials in Jamaican festival music are impeccable, but he takes issue with being omitted from the festival activities. "I don't feel too proud to know that a seven-time festival song winner, which suppose to be the popular music of Jamaica, and festival is running and until now a man don't call the king fi ask him if 'im need a show," Donaldson said.
He said he is one of those stars who are "big abroad but small a yawd". He said he is repeatedly boosted as the 'King of Festival', but his gigs are always limited to four or five festival songs. With tremendous support and and a command of a bigger market in Brazil and the wider Caribbean, Donaldson is offended by the little regards given to him in Jamaica. He said his album, 100 Percent Love, is number one in St. Vincent and Grenada.
STAR POWER
Donaldson told The Sunday Gleaner of an incident that proves that his star power should not be taken lightly. He said he was the second to last performer on a show in Brazil, but the overwhelmed audience left the show immediately after his sterling performance. This deprived the artiste lined up to follow him the opportunity to perform. He is baffled by the fact that it is quite different on his home court.
Donaldson is gearing up to release another album in August and is optimistic about the prospects. There is no doubt that it will be a hit overseas, but he is hoping that he will get the local support. And he has not ruled out making an eighth bid for the JCDC title.
For now, the star is nestled in his Kent Village, St. Catherine, hometown, where he operates a bar.
