Although he grew up in the gritty inner-city community of Greenwich Town, gospel singer Oshane Mais decided that his surroundings would not determine his future.

Instead, he has committed to using his talent to create a connection between traditional forms of gospel music and delivery and today’s musical appetite all wrapped in a message of positivity and reverence.

“My desire is to really reinvent or reintroduce some of the older kind of sounds, material and music like hymns and also to create a bridge between the old and younger generations while sending messages of hope in the face of adversity,” Mais explained in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

Mais, who obtained a Bachelor of Science in International Relations, graduated from The University of the West Indies six years ago. Singing since he was a teenager, Mais is a former member of Radical Weapons and URIM 7 Band.

“I’ve been singing for as long as I know myself; I was born and raised in a musical family, so I couldn’t escape it. But my first exposure to music and the performing arts was with my primary school, St Peter Clever musical ensemble which performed all over the island and even in Canada. Later on, my mother who is one of the worship leaders at my former church asked me to join the praise team, of which I eventually became the lead,” said Mais.

Asked why he decided to go solo, he said, “I felt a grace to launch a solo ministry after I had done a few solo ministry events and noticed that there was a particular sound, grace and message I possessed that I wanted to share with the world without being placed in box, also coupled with my mother’s encouragement to write, record and minister original songs.”

The journey, however, hasn’t been a smooth ride for Mais.

“As with everything there are ups and downs, but I’m happy to share that there have been more ups than downs. To be honest, it has been difficult at times to find unattached support like singers and musicians but with the help I’ve received thus far, I was able to produce a couple of singles and an EP, also perform across Jamaica, parts of USA and Canada,” he confided.

Mais launched the Oshane Mais Ministries in January of 2018. His debut single Forever was released that same year.

To date he has worked with Pioneer Music, Brinton Haughton Music and Danekeyzie Music. Three of his more popular songs within the gospel space are Hymns and Spiritual Songs Medley, Heaven Medley and Rock Medley, his recent hit featuring Petra-Kaye, which earned him a nomination in the 2023 Sterling Gospel Music Awards for Breakout Artiste of the Year.

Three years ago, he released his first body of work, an EP titled Overcome.

Mais, who works as a data analyst with one of the country’s top financial institutions, says his job helps to fund his passion for music.

“I would say it’s a necessary juggle as my full-time job helps to fund my passion for music, be it paying for recording or rehearsal sessions and transporting the team members,” he said.

Mais worships with the Kingdom 180 International overseen by Apostle Dr Neva Campbell.