Jamaica's Festival Songs
From Current to its Inception
Jamaica gained its independence from British rule in 1962, and the following year in 1963, the Minister of Development and Welfare, Mr Edward Seaga, created an event called "Jamaica Festival", to commemorate the island's newly gained status of an independent county. The idea for creating an annual song competition evolved from this, and in 1966, the Festival Song competition was launched. The idea for the competition was to "mobilize the spirit of the people", and as Mr Seaga described it, he thought there was no better way than music, to mobilize that spirit.
The inaugural year of the competition was 1966, the same year that Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia visited the island.
Years 2000 to 2030
| Year | Song Name | Singer | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Nuh Wey Nice Like Yard | Sacaj | YouTube Music | |
| 2021 | Jamaican Spirit | Stacious | YouTube Music | |
| 2020 | I am a Jamaican | Buju Banton | Amazon Music | |
| 2019 | Loaded Eagle | Raldene Dyer | YouTube Music | |
| 2018 | Jamaica A Wi Home | Oneil "Nazzle Man" Scott | YouTube Music | |
| 2017 | None | No Competition Held | ||
| 2016 | No Weh Like Jamaica | Oneil "Nazzle Man" Scott | YouTube Music | |
| 2015 | Celebration | Lee-Roy Johnson | ||
| 2014 | I Love JA | Rushane Sanderson | ||
| 2013 | None | No Competion Held | ||
| 2012 | Real Born Jamaican | Abbygaye Dallas | YouTube Music | |
| 2011 | Oh if We | Everton David Pessoa | YouTube Music | |
| 2010 | My Jamaica | Kharuso | YouTube Music | |
| 2009 | Take Back Jamaica | Winston Hussey | YouTube Music | |
| 2008 | Rise and Shine | Roy Rayon | YouTube Music | |
| 2007 | Woman A Di Beauty | Neville 'Gunty' Winters | ||
| 2006 | Remember the Days | Omar Reid | ||
| 2005 | Poverty | Khalil N Pure | ||
| 2004 | Ole Time Jamaica | Stefan Penincilin | ||
| 2003 | Jamaican Tour Guide | Stefan Penincilin | ||
| 2002 | Progress | Devon Black | ||
| 2001 | Lift Up Jamaica | Roy Richards | ||
| 2000 | Fi Wi Island A Boom | Stanley Beckford | YouTube |
Years 1966 to 1999
| Year | Song Name | Singer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Born Inna JA | Cheryl Clarke | |
| 1998 | Jamaica Whoa | Neville Martin | YouTube Music |
| 1997 | Peace and Love | Eric Donaldson | YouTube Music |
| 1996 | Meck We Go Spree | Zac Henry & Donald White | YouTube Music |
| 1995 | Join de Line | Eric Donaldson | YouTube |
| 1994 | Dem a Pollute | Stanley & The Astronauts | YouTube Music |
| 1993 | Big It Up | Eric Donaldson | |
| 1992 | Mek wi Put Things Right | Heather Grant | YouTube Music |
| 1991 | Come Rock | Roy Rayon | YouTube Music |
| 1990 | Island Festival | Robbie Forbes | YouTube Music |
| 1989 | Stop and Go | Michael Forbes | YouTube |
| 1988 | Jamaica Land We Love | Singer Jay | |
| 1987 | Give Thanks and Praise | Roy Rayon | YouTube Music |
| 1986 | Dem a fe Squirm | Stanley & The Turbines | |
| 1985 | Love Fever | Roy Rayon | YouTube |
| 1984 | Proud to be Jamaican | Eric Donaldson | YouTube Music |
| 1983 | Jamaica I'll Never Leave You | Ras Karbi | YouTube Music |
| 1982 | Mek Wi Jam | The Astronauts | YouTube Music |
| 1981 | Nuh Wey Nuh Betta Dan Yard | Tinga Stewart | YouTube Music |
| 1980 | New Jamaica (Come Sing With Me) | Stanley & The Turbines | Amazon Music |
| 1979 | Born Jamaican | The Astronauts | YouTube Music |
| 1978 | Land of my Birth | Eric Donaldson | Amazon Music |
| 1977 | Sweet Jamaica | Eric Donaldson | YouTube Music |
| 1976 | Dance This Ya Festival | Freddie McKay | YouTube Music |
| 1975 | Hooray Festival | Roman Stewart | YouTube Music |
| 1974 | Play de Music | Tinga Stewart | Amazon Music |
| 1973 | Jump In The Line | Morvin Brooks | YouTube Music |
| 1972 | Pomp and Pride | Toots & the Maytals | Amazon Music |
| 1971 | Cherry Oh Baby | Eric Donaldson | Amazon Music |
| 1970 | Boom Shacka Lacka | Hopeton Lewis | Amazon Music |
| 1969 | Sweet and Dandy | The Maytals | Amazon Music |
| 1968 | Music Like Dirt (Intensified '68) | Desmond Dekker & The Aces | Amazon Music |
| 1967 | Ba Ba Boom | The Jamaicans | Amazon Music |
| 1966 | Bam Bam | The Maytals | Amazon Music |