5 Questions With Jermaine Edwards

When Come Alive – a national worship experience produced by the Come Alive Collective – unfolds on Emancipation Day, August 1, gospel singer, Jermaine Edwards, will be one of the headline artistes on the highly anticipated praise and worship concert. 

At the recent launch, Edwards told The Gleaner that he is looking forward to performing on the event alongside Michael W. Smith, Papa San, Johnmark Wiggan, Petra-Kaye and H.U.M.B.L.E.  Audience One, the Jamaica Gospel Star Top four finalists, DJ Rebirth, and DJ Noi, comprise the pre-concert showcase. The concert will be held at King’s House East Lawn. At its inaugural staging last year, the event was headlined by gospel powerhouse CeCe WInans and  drew more than 15,000 patrons. 

This year’s staging seeks to create a powerful, immersive environment for worship, connecting patrons to community, and providing an opportunity to be spiritually renewed. 

This week, Jermaine Edwards occupies the seat for 5 Questions With … .

1. Were you surprised when you got the call to be a part of this impactful praise and worship event?

No, I wasn't surprised at all. Actually, the organisers called me last year to perform on the concert, but I had to turn it down because I wasn’t available. I was on a hiatus. I wasn't doing any events at all. 

1. Tell us more about this hiatus. Why was it necessary, how long was it and what did you do during that time?

I took some time off ... two years ... it ended October of last year. Sometimes you need to take a break. You don't want people to clap you off stage. They must miss you. I took the time for family, to write music and to prepare for the next trajectory of my life.  I have been doing music a long time and there are other things that we need to accomplish in life. We need to graduate. In every different season of your life you have to graduate from one institution to another. People need to understand when to graduate or when to retire.

3. How easy was it for you to make this decision and stick to it, especially when a big show comes calling? And was the return seamless?

It wasn't difficult ... been there, done that. We are used to big events.  We used to host the biggest event back in the day, Unity in the City,  so we were used to that magnitude of events. That part wasn't a problem at all. But the return … that was different. Coming back into the space was more challenging than actually leaving.  You reach a place now where you are not so much in demand and things are a bit different. 

4. Are there any changes that you have observed in the gospel music space?

Music has changed a whole lot, and I am glad I took the time away so that I can understand more what this space requires. I have a better understanding and I am more equipped.

5. What is your goal now, and what is your take on the notion that the line between gospel and secular is being blurred?

My goal now is to stay relevant. And how do I do that? Understand and be flexible. When you do that, you will understand what the changes are and how much energy you need to put out, when to walk away, when to assert yourself. Looking at what's going on and applying yourself to the situation ... knowing where you fit in, knowing where you don't. 

Between gospel and secular, there is no blur. The truth is that once you are a gospel artiste ... no matter what … secular won't accept you in their space. Once you're in … they call it a box … even if you try to step out they won’t accept you.  So what you need to do is keep doing good music. A song like Beautiful Day went around the entire world because it’s an energy to everyone who has a soul and who wants to hear good music. And then again, what is secular music? If I've been married for 25 years and I want to write a song for my wife, many Christians will say I'm writing a secular song. Is a love song to your wife a secular song? 

In the 10 commandments, two speak about love, everything else is thou shaĺt not steal, kill, etc … all the instructions that we need on how we should deal with each other. But still we don't have enough songs about how we should treat each other ... everything is worship, worship, worship. And then, it is the world dictates what is love, but we must remember that love comes from God .

BRAWTA:

What was the reaction in gospel circles to your megahit, ‘Beautiful Day’?

Well, some said that I lost my anointing when I did that song because it didn't sound ‘Christianish'. But that was one of my best songs. I could retire from that song. It reached all the corners of the Earth. But it was the same thing with Jesus. They thought that Jesus was not a Christian. They thought that he was doing things that was not ‘Christianish’. But I will continue doing music. I can’t stop. 

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