Finalist out of Festival Song Competition vows to return - It was a nice opportunity from JCDC, says Renegad

The number of competitors in the 2026 Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Festival Song Competition has been reduced to nine following the removal from the line-up of one of the finalists, Junior ‘Renegad’ McCalla.  And, while McCalla and his team are disappointed, they have taken responsibility for what led to their non-participation and say they remain “fully motivated”. 

The JCDC announced last Friday that McCalla would no longer participate, owing to the fact that “the entry did not satisfy the competition’s requirement that submissions be new and unpublished works”. McCalla told The Gleaner that his song, which was titled I’m from Jamaica, “had a minor release in 2019”.

A press release quoted Executive Director of the JCDC, Lenford Salmon, as saying that “the decision was taken in keeping with the competition's rules and the commission's responsibility to ensure fairness to all participants”.

"The Jamaica Festival Song Competition has earned the trust of Jamaicans over six decades because of its commitment to fairness and transparency. The eligibility requirements are clearly outlined in the competition rules and participant agreement, and it is our responsibility to ensure that they are applied consistently to all contestants,” he said.

In a post to social media last Friday, McCalla thanked his supporters while admitting that he and his team “got too excited” and bypassed the rule.

“Just want to let you know that we were sent a letter of disqualification from the JCDC due to a rule that was broken, so that means I’m no longer a part of the competition. Me and my team take full responsibility as we got a little too excited and overlooked a simple but very essential part of the contract that was given. Disappointed but still motivated and grateful, yet again we thank the #jcdc [sic] for such a great opportunity and experience, we also extend our sincere gratitude to my fans and fams #moremotivated #StillWillBeWorking,” the post said.

Speaking with The Gleaner on Sunday morning, McCalla sounded upbeat and shared that being a finalist was “a nice opportunity from JCDC … and a good vibe”.

Explaining the reason for the disqualification, he stated that the song, I’m from Jamaica, was recorded seven years ago, and the producer did “a minor release”. 

“It wasn’t until we got accepted into the final 10 and were doing the paperwork from JCDC that we got the full understanding about the release. To be honest, we did overlook that part of the contract that lists the requirements for the song,” McCalla told The Gleaner.

“In order for me to go on [being a finalist], the song would have to be unreleased. But … we got a fair chance. The JCDC was good to us, and they told us that they hope to see us in the competition next year, so that is the plan. In 2027, we will be entering the Festival Song Competition again … and this time we will get it right,” he said.

The JCDC press release stated that Salmon “acknowledged the talent Mr McCalla brought to this year's competition and encouraged him to consider entering future editions of the Jamaica Festival Song Competition, provided that all eligibility requirements are met”.

"While we appreciate the talent and commitment demonstrated by all participants, we must also ensure that the competition is conducted in a fair and credible manner for the benefit of everyone involved. We thank Mr McCalla for his participation and wish him every success in his future musical endeavours." 

The nine finalists in the competition are   Trisstar – I Am Jamaican; Lady Jazz – Jamaica a Fiwi Island; Bovia – Jamaica Pon Di App; dBURNZ – I Love Jamaica; Elton Earlington – Proud a Jamaica;  Aba Jones – Teet A Fi Me;  Ovando Levy – Jamaica School (Bingi Ling); Brother C – Jamaica Woie; and Song Bird – My Jamaica, Land of Festivals.

McCalla, who is from Portmore, St Catherine, has plans to re-release the track.

“We weren’t making any money from it … but we are still going to put it back in the space … back on all platforms, because we had asked the distributor to take it down, and he agreed. Based on the vibrations we were getting locally and internationally, we know that the algorithm was building. We saw it as a possible winning song … or at least in the top three. But next year, we will be back,” McCalla promised.

The nine finalists performed last Friday at the Universal Service Fund's (USF) Connec' Di West Road Tour at Sam Sharpe Square in Montego Bay, St James. They are scheduled to perform this Friday at the Bank of Jamaica Lunch Hour Concert, beginning at 12:30 p.m. They will also take the stage at the Festival Song Presentation Show on Saturday, July 11, at 8:30 p.m., which will be broadcast live on Television Jamaica.

The Festival Song Grand Final and Results Show will be held on July 25 at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the competition.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com