FESTIVAL SONG ENTRANT WINS RECORDING CONTRACT

Jamaica first heard of the singer Ieye when she won a slot as the only female
among ten Festival song 2008 contestants. Singing then as ‘Versatile’, Ieye showed
true versatility in her performances and voice range and gained invaluable
experience of performing to large public audiences. “Versatile” did not win the
competition’s million dollar prize, though she received an award as Most Improved
Performer. But her talent caught the attention of Clifton ‘Specialist’ Dillon – the
mega-music manager who made Grammy-winning stars of Shabba Ranks, Patra,
Cobra and Italian-Jamaican reggae artiste Alborosie. The man music industry
insiders refer to as “The Star Maker”, Dillon has signed her to a recording and
management contract and begun working with her on tracks for a debut album.

“Underneath Ieye’s shyness and inexperience, I saw the makings of a new female
superstar”, says Dillon. With this objective, he has embarked Ieye on a rigid
recording and rehearsal schedule, grooming her to handle performances and public
appearances with the air of a true professional. It’s quite a change for the 24-year
old from Linstead, St. Catherine where she grew up, went to school and attained her
CXC’s. One of eleven children born in a religious Christian family, young Ieye’s
voicedeveloped singing gospel songs. Her talent was first exposed when at the age
of 8 she began singing at weddings and parties at the request of friends who had
heard her sweet voice in church, so it’s no surprise that it was the Gospel Song
competition she had entered first. But when she did not make the final selection,
she decided to cast her hat into the Festival Song Competition. The rest is history.

“This is something I’ve always dreamed of from I was a little girl, that my talent as a
singer would be recognized and helped to grow”, she replied when asked how it
feels to be ‘discovered’. “I wasn’t surprised that I didn’t win the Festival Song
Competition, because all the entries were good singers and songs, so I just give
thanks to reach so far and to have the chance to perform all over the Island and on
television. All that was a dream come true”, she smiles. “To get a call later from Mr.
Dillon saying he wanted to guide my career, well that was an even bigger dream I
never thought would ever come true”, she laughs with happiness. “God is good”.

Ieye has already recorded more than a dozen songs from which the album will
finally be selected. With ‘Specialist’ as executive producer and manager, the quality
of each song is first class and the variety of rhythms and lyrical topics gives Ieye a
chance to show why her first performing name was “Versatile”. There are cultural
reggae songs, vintage remakes, soulful ballads, raunchy dancehall raps and social
commentary all performed with a strong voice that carries emotions, power and
control with competent ease. There’s a sense of maturity in this poised young lady
and a lot of it comes from the confidence gained by recognition and professional
acceptance. She has also undergone a glamorous image upgrade that is more in
keeping with her new persona as the mysterious “Ieye” – a name that is a
meaningful sound.

Clifton Dillon is single-minded about Ieye’s future. Serving as Special Advisor to the
Ministry of Information & Culture, he commends the Honourable Minister Olivia
‘Babsy’ Grange for re-introducing the Festival Song Competition in its original
format, giving greater opportunities for artists to exhibit their talents and enter the
performing mainstream. He points to the fact that although Ieye did not have a
winning competition song, the Festival Song Competition showcased her vocal and
performing talents well enough to command his attention. “Maybe other producers
saw other performers in the competition and are working with other artists
somewhere… who knows?” he asks. “Ieye is proof that the Festival Song
Competition is as good an opportunity for stardom as any other competition in
Jamaica or the world and with the Ministry’s full support, it will continue to provide
more opportunities in years to come”.