VETERAN singer Sanchez has not performed on a major stage locally for a while. That drought will be broken on June 25 when he performs on the Jamaica Rum Festival, scheduled for The Aqueduct at Rose Hall, just outside Montego Bay.

Sanchez, whose many hit songs include Loneliness, Fall in Love and I Can’t Wait, is headliner for the event which also features Capleton, Romain Virgo, Tessanne Chin, Sevana, Runkus, D Burnz, Kalyra and D’Voyce.

Since he exploded on the musical scene in the mid 1980s Sanchez has endeared himself to fans with a distinctive ballad style. Yet, he does not believe he gets his due.

“I know that the people of Jamaica love my music because everywhere I go, they show me a lot of love and support. However, I cannot understand why after more than 30 years of success, my country has never seen fit to honour me for the work that I’ve done in reggae music,” he said.

“Despite the lack of recognition for my work in my homeland I will continue to represent Jamaica wherever I go. God has blessed me with the talent to sing and I will keep on singing for my fans at home and abroad,” Sanchez added.

As it relates to new music, Sanchez has released an update of the gospel hit, Goodness of God, which is produced by Raw Vue Music.

Goodness of God was originally recorded by Bethel Music and Jenn Johnson. It was released in 2019 and peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Christian Airplay Chart and number 15 on the Christian Songs Chart. It has been certified gold for sales of more than 500,000 units in the United States.

Said Sanchez, “I recorded this song to remind everyone out there to keep giving thanks to God because He’s always there for us, especially when we need Him the most.”

Drummer Kirk Bennett is among the musicians who worked on Goodness of God. It was mixed by Delroy “Fatta” Pottinger.

Sanchez disclosed plans to embark on a number of overseas shows.

“It’s been over two years since I haven’t performed overseas because of the [novel coronavirus] pandemic. Now that things are getting back to some semblance of normalcy, I’m getting ready to start touring and performing for fans all over the world again,” he said.