DESPITE Tuesday’s uproar in Parliament on the CD’s title, the 2012 Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s (JCDC) gospel competition kicks off this evening at the National Arena in St Andrew at 7:00 pm.

The 10 finalists are featured on the CD, Blow Ye The Trumpet: It’s Jubilee.

Last Tuesday, Jamaica Labour Party Member of Parliament JC Hutchinson made the point that the CD’s title sounded partisan to the governing People’s National Party. He went on to say if the title of the CD was Ring Ye The Bell under a JLP administration, there would have been severe criticisms.

The person responsible for the CD’s title, Leighton Jones said he was surprised by the response.

“I was surprised because there was no political interference,” Jones told the Jamaica Observer.

According to Jones, the name was derived from Leviticus 25 verses 9 and 10.

“Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the 10th day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land: And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family,” the passage reads.

Jones said the trumpet was the jubilee instrument, and was not political. He said the competition should be aimed at touching lives with hearts and hands instead of with just voices.

Leneshia Nooks, JCDC marketing and public relations manager, said Jones planned the gospel festival and the idea from November 2011. And, believes that all will be in place this evening.

The 10 finalists are: Lee Roy ‘Ancient Priest’ Johnson; Shavine ‘Chronicle’ Jones; Shekinah ‘Da Bishop’ Ade-Gold; Kimola Brown; Donnett Barnett Thomas; Terri Johnson-McLean; Kevin Waite; Mirriam Hibbert; Nickette Morgan; and, Levy’s Heritage.