Horace Taylor with back-up singers.
IF THE cards are not dealt in Horace Taylor's favour this time, he would have great reservations about entering the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's National Popular Song Contest in the future.
"This is the song. Listen to the words and the arrangement. I would be very disappointed if it doesn't win," Taylor said.
The performer of Keep The Fire Burning says he is peeved at the 'biases' which surround the contest, saying that the media are focusing all their attention on just a few contestants. "The country is focused on personalities rather than issues. This is a popular song contest and we should not be looking at people primarily because they have been there before and they are popular. It should be about the song, and my song is what Jamaica needs now.
"The country needs inspiration to point us where we are going; to help us take stock of our heritage and be clear as to what our country should be".
This is the second time he has entered the competition, having first tried in 1992 with Jamaica Land We Love, which also featured Angel and Kulcha Knox. He is the writer, arranger and singer of Keep The Fire Burning.
"I want the top prize. I am not going for anything else," said Taylor.
According to him, the contest has lost some appeal because over the years there has been a weak crop of songs.
"This year the songs are very good and I am proud to be a part of it," he declared.
Taylor feels the winner of the song contest should be given more of an ambassador's role for the country.
"Just like when there is a beauty queen, that person reigns for a year and gets involved in various promotional activities, the song winner should get the chance to take the culture all around.
"If I win this year I won't wait on the JCDC to do that. I will take up my own promotion. If we had been having that kind of promotion over the years Carnival would not have taken over the country to the point where the children don't even look forward to Independence celebrations," he told The Gleaner.
