Have A Little Faith, a humanitarian song by Willie Stewart and Friends, is the new number one song on the South Florida Top 25 Reggae Chart.

The all-star track topped the weekly table after entering in February.

Written by former Third World drummer Willie Stewart, the song features Leroy Sibbles, Carlene Davis, J C Lodge, Gem Myers, Dwisdom, Glen Washington, Wayne Armond, Alecia Marie, Carl McDonald and Patrick Ulysees Pinkney.

Stewart co-produced Have A Little Faith with Sean Wedderburn. He is also co-executive producer with Steve Lane, who distributes the song through Digital 1 Media Service.

Have A Little Faith was inspired by the courage shown by Jamaicans in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, which devastated parishes in the southwestern region of the country last October. As he and his family watched the recovery effort in Jamaica from their home in South Florida, Stewart was moved to write a song hailing that resilience.

“Three days after the hurricane, inspired by humanitarian aid efforts and my wife’s suggestion, I realised I could help by writing a song. After sharing the idea with Steve Lane, we decided to create it together, involving several talented musicians despite their own challenges,” Stewart told Observer Online.

He and his orchestra performed Have A Little Faith at Rhythms Of Africa, which took place April 18-19 at the Miramar Cultural Center in Miramar, South Florida. Stewart has produced that popular event since 2010.

The latest show, dubbed “Run di Riddim: Every Beat For Jamaica”, was also dedicated to the post-Melissa cause. In addition to performances from J C Lodge, Gem Myers and Richie Stephens, there was a tribute segment to Jimmy Cliff, guitarist Stephen “Cat” Coore (Stewart’s colleague in Third World); and drummer Sly Dunbar, who died in November and January, respectively.

— Howard Campbell