KINGSTON, Jamaica — We are less than a month into 2022 but the year is already looking like it’s going to be an especially good one for some personalities and entities. OBSERVER ONLINE has compiled a list of the ones to keep an eye on in entertainment, politics, sports, social media, and business.

Here are the ones to watch for 2022:

Entertainment

Jashii — With charting songs and a viral On Stage interview, 2021 was a breakthrough year for entertainer Jashii, whose given name is Mluleki Tafari Clarke. The promising young artiste has gained millions of views of Youtube and promises to be a force in 2022.

Marcy Chin — Despite being in the music industry for years, Marcy Chin is just garnering public attraction for her art. With her 2018 released song Soy Bonita seeing recent features in American television series, Chin’s career remains under the watchful eyes of the public.

10Tik — Newcomer 10Tik, given name Carlton Nembhard, was thrust into the spotlight with his 2021 hit Roll Deep which has since changed his life. Now the centre of public attention, the former firefighter is determined not to regret leaving his job.

D’yani — With more than six years in the music industry, D’yani got his breakthrough in 2021 with his Jada Kingdom collaboration Feelings, which generated a huge buzz in dancehall. And, one to watch in 2022, the artiste is already off to an impressive start having kicked off his first major tour outside of Jamaica.

450 — After two years in the dancehall industry, deejay 450 (born Tristen Escoffery) finally caught the attention of fans with the song Imperfection released in 2021, setting his career on a path for success in 2022.

Kaseeno — Kaseeno started 2022 with a bang when his December 2021 released music video for Baby Come Over started trending on social media. Rebranded from Vylmark Hamilton and Maxibilian, and with his ‘superman’ appearances, Kaseeno has been a hot topic for all of January. Whether the artiste will make the best of this public attention, is yet to be known.

Politics

Floyd Green — There is no doubt that Floyd Green is the politician to watch. Armed with youth, vigour and a vision, Green has a promising future in politics. It was a bittersweet moment watching him resign from the Cabinet in September 2021 as the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries after a video of him partying on a no-movement day went viral. However, with him back in the executive as Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), the nation watches with eager eyes and bated breath to see if he will live up to expectations.

Rhoda Crawford — Member of Parliament (MP) for Manchester Central, Rhoda Moy Crawford gained the country’s attention when she defeated the formidable Peter Bunting to become the first female MP in what was thought to be a male-dominated constituency. Since then, she has catalogued a number of achievements, some of which, some might say, have eluded her long-standing predecessors. With this reputation being set, the question remains whether or not she can sustain her performance.

Tova Hamilton — Like her colleague, MP for Trelawny Northern Tova Hamilton has also had a promising start to her political career. She was sworn in as the newest member of the Jamaica Senate in June 2020, only to, months later, end the People’s National Party’s 31-year dominance of the Trelawny Northern constituency in the General Elections. Already, Hamilton is making a difference by bringing both water and electricity to residents of the constituency, many of whom have been without the essential commodities for up to 60 years. 

Sports 

Kadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw – Kadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw signed with Manchester City last summer and has made a solid start to her first season in England, having scored scored eight goals in 14 appearances. She has been improving gradually as the season progress and the sky is the limit to what the Jamaican striker could achieve in 2022.

Shamar Nicholson – Jamaican centre-forward Shamar Nicholson started the New Year brightly after signing a multi-year contract with top Russian Premier League side Spartak Moscow. By all indications, Nicholson is very focused on proving that it was money well spent by the Russian club to secure his services and, against that background, he is certainly one to watch out for in 2022.

Leon Bailey – Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey’s first season in England has so far been hampered by injuries but, when fit, has shone on the pitch. Currently sidelined with a quad injury, Bailey will be determined to show his worth when back to full fitness.

Bobsled Team – The Jamaican bobsled team is going to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics with a lot of fanfare as, for the first time, the country has qualified for three Olympic bobsled events. These are the four-man, two-man and women’s monobob. Jamaica bobsled rose to fame with its Olympic debut at the 1988 Calgary Winter Games, inspiring the 1993 Disney film, “Cool Runnings.”

Social media

Julie Mango – TikTok sensation Juliet ‘Julie Mango’ Bodley has been creating family friendly entertainment on the video-based social media platform and has gained a great following as a result. Bodley, who is also a mental health advocate, revealed in an interview with Jamaica Observer that her growth will see her starting a comedy sketch series in 2022 called the Julie Mango Show, which will be streamed on First In Line Plus, exclusively. What’s more is that she is the official social media ambassador for Jamaica 60.

Wesley Hylton – YouTuber Wesley ‘Wes’ Hylton (@hitswes)  made a name doing vlogs on the platform, which further grew on Instagram. His popularity and influence grew even further with the introduction of TikTok where over 165,000 followers tune in on Sundays for ‘Sunday Nite Zess with Wes’ and viewers share their stories depending on the, usually taboo, topic of the evening. Wes is also currently a co-host of The Tabs Project, which tackles sexual health among other topics. Hylton has also asked his followers to come up with a “DJ” name as he has landed the opportunity to have a show on a popular radio station.

Basilia Cuff – Basillia Barnaby-Cuff, like many others during the pandemic, started posting comedic sketches to her social media platforms that are relevant to Jamaica and the Caribbean. Since then she has gained and kept her over 136,000 followers on TikTok entertained. The entrepreneur and broadcaster has also enjoyed partnerships with well-known companies such as the VM Group and Yummy Bakery, along with small businesses. 

Aamir ‘Bwoizy’ Cunningham – 2021 was a year of opportunities for Aamir Cunningham as he not only surpassed 200,000 followers on TikTok with his sarcastic humour, but secured a partnership with Tastee Chees after his series ‘A True Jamaican Love Story’ gained much attention. Bwoizy has also featured on an episode of #ChillingWidGrace. Now, Cunningham has landed a job as co-host of the TVJ Schools’ Challenge Quiz Access show.

Business 

EduFocal Limited — EduFocal is known for its work in the education sector at the primary school level. Its Primary Exit Profile academy has changed the game as a full-time online day school, creating a space for parents to adapt digitally and shifting the local paradigm on the possibilities for education in the future. The company is also quickly establishing itself as a digital solutions provider for training in the corporate space. And, with a possible stock exchange listing in the future, EduFocal is one to watch.

Bluedot Insights — With the world constantly evolving and data in high demand, Bluedot Data Intelligence Limited is one to watch carefully. Last year was a big year for the company, with CEO Larren Peart successfully acquiring controlling interest. Now, he plans to take Bluedot to the next level with more flexibility in leadership, making 2022 a promising year for the business.

Spur Tree Jamaican Spices — 2020 was a successful year for Spur Tree Jamaican Spices. It successfully raised more than $335 million in capital at the end of 2021 and is set for strong growth going into the year and beyond as it diversifies its product profile. Furthermore, with the business expected to apply for listing on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange shortly, it is definitely one to look out for.