Veteran music producer and artiste manager Donovan Germain believes that more established producers need to get involved in the Jamaica Festival Song Competition.
Germain, who has produced a slew of hit singles, locally and internationally, made the assertion in an interview with Loop News earlier this week, days after three of his productions claimed the top three spots in the 2023 final of the competition.
Slashe’s ‘Best in the World’ took first place, Shuga’s ‘Dancing Same Way’ was second, while Canada-based Jamaican reggae artiste Exco Levi rounded out the top three with his entry ‘Feel Like Home’.
Said Germain: “More established producers need to get involved in the process. This year’s batch of songs was probably the best in the last 10 years.”
The music producer was the one who encouraged Slashe, Shuga and Exco Levi to enter the competition.
“The promotion would’ve been invaluable for their careers,” said Germain.
Having produced the top three songs, Germain said that this achievement demonstrates that established producers and artistes should consider participating in the competition.
“It signifies that we should have more input from the mainstream part of the industry, since the people who finished in the top three are, indeed, part of the industry,” he reasoned.
Germain, who started out in the music industry in the early 1970s with a record shop in New York City, opened his Penthouse studios on Slipe Road in Kingston in the late 1980s.
Among the list of artistes he’s worked with are Buju Banton, Nadine Sutherland, Agent Sasco, Marica Griffiths, Twiggy, Cutty Ranks, Tony Rebel, Wayne Wonder, and Freddie McGregor.
On the international music scene, Germain has scored success on the UK Singles chart with hits including Sugar Minott’s ‘Good Thing Going’, Audrey Hall’s ‘One Dance Won’t Do’, Freddie McGregor’s ‘Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely’ and ‘That Girl’.
In the 1980’s, he was responsible for a string of hits that revived the career of singer Beres Hammond, a streak that continued into the 1990s with others like ‘Tempted to Touch’, ‘Respect and Honour’, ‘Who Say’ (featuring Buju Banton), and ‘Live On’ (with Marcia Griffiths).
