It is every parent’s nightmare, to lose a child. For roots singer Jahdon and his wife Francine, whose 17-month-old daughter recently died, the feeling was no different.

The Rastafarian artiste expresses his sorrow in Pain, a song released on October 16. It is co-produced by Jahdon’s companies, Broomie LLC and Look Ya Now Entertainment, and distributed by Tuff Gong International.

Jahdon told the Jamaica Observer that his daughter was the first child for him and his wife. He did not disclose her name or when she died “out of deep respect and privacy for my family”.

The Clarendon-born vocalist added that Pain is the toughest song he has written and recorded.

“I went through a profound emotional journey. Writing and voicing the song became an essential part of my healing. While the anguish remains, I’ve learned to channel it constructively and carry it in a way that honours the memory of my loved ones,” he said.

From Canaan Heights in Clarendon, many of Jahdon’s songs are inspired by his ‘livity’. Congo Bongo salutes blackness and the Rastafarian faith, while Broomie is an unapologetic ode to making brooms, a craft he has practised in his hometown since his teens.

As devastating as losing their child is, he felt the need to release the anguish he and his wife endured, in song.

“My life journey has always been the foundation of my music. Throughout my career, music has served as a way to express, understand, and navigate my emotions. Creating Pain was my way of processing my immense sorrow and beginning the healing journey,” he said.

Jahdon has been recording music for 10 years. A turning point in his career came in 2017 with the release of Congo Bongo, an EP driven by the rocking title track.

He has also released two albums, 369 and Jahdon-I.