Dr. Garfield McCook

The fifth Jamaica International Independence Foreign Song Competition (JIIFSC) will be held on July 26 in Georgia. Dr. Garfield McCook, its founder and chief organizer, said his team has launched an aggressive marketing drive to recruit a quality field from the Jamaican Diaspora.

Last year’s event was contested by seven acts. Gospel act, Ernel Earlington and his harmony quartet Doxology, won with ‘Jamaica Nice’.

McCook, an Atlanta-based Jamaican businessman, is pleased with the progress of the event which is inspired by the long-running Festival Song Competition in Jamaica.

“I'm pleased that the JIIFSC is gaining recognition worldwide as our goal continues to be, to provide a platform for artists of Jamaican descent in the Diaspora to showcase their musical talent during the Jamaica Independence Celebrations. Our hope is to garner sponsors as life partners,” he said.

The Year Five winner receives $8,000 plus a trophy; second place will be awarded $4,000 plus a trophy with third place getting $1000. The top three will be featured on ‘JIIFSC Regals Vol. 3 Album’, to be distributed by VPAL Records, a subsidiary of VP Records.”

Lavie Lujah out of Toronto won the inaugural JIIFSC in 2021 with ‘Certified Yardie’. ‘IRIE’ by GoddySon from New York and Ohio-based Leon “Letonick” Denton with ‘Jamaican in Mi’ won in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

WRITTEN BY HOWARD CAMPBELL