It was a sweet victory for 40-year-old singer Kimiela “Candy” Isaacs on Saturday night as she won the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Festival Song competition with a song that paid homage to Jamaica’s accomplishments.

One Jamaica, which Isaacs wrote and was produced by Sidney Thorpe, beat nine other finalists for the coveted title.

“The song was inspired by God himself [and] the many accomplishments that Jamaica has made over the 62 years since Independence. Our accomplishments have far outweighed the challenges by far,” Isaacs shared in an interview with the Jamaica Observer on Sunday.

This was Isaacs’s second attempt at the festival song title. She entered in 2021 with
Birthday Bash Jamaica.

Still, the visually impaired Isaacs has been a regular in JCDC performing arts and music competitions since she was a student at Wolmer’s Girls’ School.

“I decided to enter this year because I can be considered a festival baby since I was 12 years old. I entered several performing arts and music competitions up to 2008. I have numerous gold medals and trophies for my participation over the years. I am always at festival events whether I am participating or not,” said Isaacs.

The songstress also participated in the JCDC Gospel Song competition (now rebranded as the Jamaica Gospel Star competition) in 2009 with the song Reassurance, which was produced by Grub Cooper.

A resident of Seaview Gardens, Isaacs who won a scholarship to Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts, has a diploma in performance teaching as well as a degree in jazz and popular music.

She said her circle of friends and family have been supportive throughout her journey in the Festival Song competition this year.

“My community, my family, and my friends, they have been supportive since I entered the gospel song competition. What kept me going this year was their support, God’s grace, and a beautifully designed support system, including my mom, my sister, and three great friends who have always covered me with constant prayer. It can be a bit challenging mentally and, being visually impaired, as a performer, you have to find ways of interacting with the audience. The Laud Dance Ministries have been behind me 100 per cent as well,” Isaacs explained.

Isaacs won $2 million for performing and writing the winning song, while the song’s producer Sidney Thorpe will receive $1 million.

For the first time in the history of the Festival Song competition, the top three winners are all females.

St James based TrishMaq (Trishana McBean Clarke) finished in second place. She is the writer of the song Jamaica is a Big Brand, which was produced by Darren Grant for Nuthie Records.

“The song really captures it all and echoes the sentiment that Jamaica is a big brand. We continue to make an impact globally,” said TrishMaq.

This is TrishMaq’s first time entering the competition.

“The experience was quite an eye-opening journey, and I am very grateful for it. To see the support I had, and to see the reaction from the people, it was very inspirational for me,” she shared.

Originally from St Thomas, Sister Novelette (Novelette Williams), who now resides in May Pen, Clarendon, finished in third place. It was her first time entering the competition, a dream she wanted to achieve for several years.

“I am happy to be a part of history, to be among the top three women in the competition. I am very elated about it,” she said.

Her entry Fi Mi Island Home was produced by her son Jermaine Williams for JAW Records.

“The song was inspired by my island; I really love this little island here. I wanted to enter the competition for a long time and to just be a part of it. I grew up listening to the festival songs over the years from performers like Stanley and the Turbines and The Astronauts and I always looked forward to the festivities each year,” said Sister Novelette.