Festival Song Semi-Finalists Selected

Twenty one, of more than 300 singers and songwriters across the island that entered the Festival Song 2k9 Competition have been selected to participate in the semi final round on April 16.
They include:
Linoleum White from the parish of St. Thomas with “Sweet Little Paradise”, Michael Barnett with “Gi Mi Mi Sweet Jamaica”, Delisser McFarlane with “Quiet Oonuself”, and Leroy Roberts with “Love Mi Jamaican” from the parish of St. Ann,
Carol Ann Mitchell from with “Jamaica Too Sweet” from Manchester, 2008 finalist, Clevon Edwards with the song “Eat What You Grow”, Collebert Blake with “Love A Little Island Yah” and Christopher Christie with “Jamaica Land of the King” representing the parish of Westmoreland.
From St. James is Francis Hamilton, with “Ole Time Sumting” while Philbert Graham vies for Clarendon with the song ” Sweet Jamaica” and Uriah Walker represents Portland with “Jump Around Festival 2k9”.
From the country’s capital are popular entertainer Joan Andrea Hutchinson with the song “Abay”, Stacia Davidson with “Love Jamaica”, Monty Montgomery with “Its Time Again”, Eric White with ” Mi Nah Run Lef Jamaica”, Joshua Rowe with “Jamaica Nuff Niceness”, Owen Barrett with ” My Jamaica” and Gregory Reid with “Jamaica Mi Love Unno”, representing Kingston.
St. Catherine completes the list with Ahton James with “Jamaica Weh Wi Live”, Howard Reid with “Weather” and comedian/songwriter Winston ‘Bello’ Bell with “Take Back Jamaica”.
The top 21 songs will be heard by the public and a panel of judges at the elimination show, scheduled for the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, from which the top ten songs will be selected. Chairman of the Festival Song Committee, Vernon Derby has indicated that the Festival Song 2K9 search will have a revised format this year, thereby allowing the public to choose the winning song.