Winston Wallace: Man behind Land Of My Birth
With February acknowledged as Reggae Month, the Jamaica Observer salutes some of the music’s unsung heroes in this daily column.
AS far as Jamaican songwriters go, Winston Wallace does not match the legendary Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bob Andy or Dennis Brown. But the unassuming trade unionist penned one of his country’s most patriotic songs, one that still tugs at the heart 40 years after its release.
Wallace is author of Land Of My Birth which won the 1978 Festival Song Contest, giving singer Eric Donaldson his third win in the annual Independence event. To many, the song is Jamaica’s unofficial national anthem.
In a 2014 interview with the Jamaica Observer, Wallace said Land Of My Birth was inspired by the political turmoil taking place in Jamaica at the time. He believed the country needed a song to stir patriotic emotions.
He was right, as Land Of My Birth was a clear favourite and overwhelming victor. It was far more popular with fans than Sweet Jamaica, the song he wrote for Donaldson that won the Festival Song Contest in 1977.
“I thought people would show greater appreciation to Sweet Jamaica because it’s what we call a patois song, but I was wrong,” he said.
When he wrote Land Of My Birth, St Catherine-born Wallace was a schoolteacher and member of the Trade Union Congress. He was in tune with the politics that tore supporters of the governing People’s National Party and Opposition Jamaica Labour Party apart.
Heading into ‘Festival’, Jamaicans seemed more interested in loyalty to party than country.
Land Of My Birth was recorded at Dynamic Sounds in Kingston with the Fabulous Five Band backing Donaldson, who first won the Festival Song Contest in 1971 with Cherry Oh Baby. ‘Fab Five’ drummer, Grub Cooper arranged the song which quickly transcended its Festival tag.
Winston Wallace says he received $1,200 from the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, organisers of the Festival Song Contest, for writing Land Of My Birth. Forty years on the reward, in terms of appreciation from his countrymen, is priceless.
