With the first anniversary of Hurricane Melissa approaching, singer Don G has released a song paying tribute to the character shown by Jamaicans in the aftermath of that Category 5 monster.
‘We Will Rise’ is the name of the track which was recently released by Grippy Nation Records. Don G recorded the song at his studio in Luxembourg, where he has lived for nine years.
Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on October 28, 2025. It caused severe damage to the country’s south-west region, destroying hospitals, schools, businesses and leaving thousands of people homeless.
According to figures from the Jamaican government, 45 people were killed by Melissa’s deadly impact.
“None of my relatives were affected, but it was after several days of not communicating with my mother that I found out she and my Dad and brothers, aunts and cousins were okay,” said Don G. “It was just small infrastructure damage and water flooding. I just give God thanks that nothing serious happened to them.”
Don G is from Linstead, a market town in rural St. Catherine parish. That area suffered minor damage, nothing compared to the devastation experienced in the parishes of St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James and Trelawny.
In the aftermath of Melissa, Don G joined with many Jamaicans in Europe to donate relief items to the recovery effort in their country.
WRITTEN BY HOWARD CAMPBELL