This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Festival Song Competition. What started out as the Festival Song Contest was initiated by Edward Seaga, who was Jamaica’s minister of development and welfare.

There were eight finalists in the inaugural event, which was won by The Maytals with Bam Bam. That song was produced by Byron Lee, who had purchased Seaga’s company, West Indies Records Limited, in 1964.

The 1966 Festival Song Contest was completed by Vic Taylor & The Paragons — Remember Me; The Blues Busters —
I’m A Happy Man; Count Owen — Festival Is Great (Festival Is In The Air); Joe Higgs — All For Mankind; Derrick Harriott — Our Time fe Celebrate; The Techniques — Foot Stomping; and Winston Samuels — I’ll Forever Stand.

Most of the entrants were established artistes. Joe Higgs had success as a member of Higgs and Wilson with
Manny Oh and Dumplings, both produced by Seaga; Derrick Harriott had been a member of The Jiving Juniors and was making his name as a solo act and producer; The Blues Busters had hits with Behold! and Wings of A Dove; The Maytals were a ska force with Studio One, while The Techniques were thriving at Treasure Isle.

In 1966, there was also a pop and mento segment, which was won by The Merricoles, later known as The Jamaicans. They won the contest in 1967 with Ba Ba Boom.

Tommy Cowan, a member of The Merricoles and The Jamaicans, remembers Festival 1966 as a joyous affair. He said The Maytals — Toots Hibbert, Jerry Mathias and Raleigh Gordon — were deserving winners.

“I thought Bam Bam was infectious, a great singalong melody, and street talk lyrics. ‘If you should trouble this man, it would bring a bam bam,’ ” he told the Jamaica Observer.

The Festival Song Competition final takes place on July 25 at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in St Andrew.

This year’s finalists are: Aba Jones — Teet A Fi Me; Elton Earlington — Proud A Jamaica; dBURNZ — I Love Jamaica; Ovando Levy – Jamaica School; Trisstar – I Am Jamaican; Brother C – Jamaica Woie; Bovia – Jamaica Pon Di App; Lady Jazz – Jamaica a Fiwi Island; and Song Bird — Jamaica Land of Festival.