Elton Earlington eyes Festival Song Competition glory with ‘Proud A Jamaica’

While in Accra, Ghana, for the Hands Across Africa show in 2022, Elton Earlington saw a euphoric scene that made a lasting impression on him.

“My dream is to be another great like Eric Donaldson, whom I had the opportunity to share a stage with in Ghana back in 2022. I witnessed him being lifted off the ground and carried by the people of Ghana,” Earlington recalled. “Eric wasn’t allowed to walk on his own two feet, and he wasn’t granted the chance to sing his own song…The people took over and sang those songs word for word.”

The singer takes a big step to that emulation tomorrow as one of 10 finalists in the Festival Song Competition, which takes place at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in Kingston. His entry is Proud A Jamaica.

The song is written by Delroy “Pele” Hamilton, bass player with the Raging Fyah band. In June, it was selected as one of the finalists for “Festival”, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

The St Andrew-born Earlington won the Rising Star talent contest in 2016. Since then, he has recorded and released several songs, the latest being the patriotic Proud A Jamaica.

“I love this song and that is one of the reasons why I perform it well. When performing, I can truly get into it and present the best possible rendition of myself,” he said.

Donaldson, whose accomplishments he yearns to replicate, won the Festival Song Contest/Competition seven times. Two of those songs, Cherry Oh Baby and Land of My Birth, are mainstream classics.

Earlington is enjoying the Festival ride.

“Wonderful experience so far, I can’t complain. Good people, good vibes, high energy, strong competition and most importantly, everyone is good with each other regardless of it being a competition,” he said. “We’re like family among each other.”

The other finalists for the 2026 Festival Song Competition are: Aba Jones (Teet A fi Me); Bovia (Jamaica pon di App); dBURNZ (I Love Jamaica); Ovando Levy (Jamaica School Bingi Ling); Trisstar (I Am Jamaican); Brother C (Jamaica Woie); Christina Evans (Jamaica A fiwi Island); and Song Bird (My Jamaica, Land of Festivals).