Int'l gospel act Kierra Sheard for Kingston Jerk and Gospel Music Festival
Published:Wednesday | September 21, 2016 | 12:00 AMCurtis Campbell
The organisers of the Kingston Jerk and Gospel Music Festival have confirmed that internationally renowned Grammy-nominated gospel singer, Kierra Sheard, will be headlining the October 17 event, which is set to take place at Hope Gardens, St Andrew.
Event organiser and front-man at Chozenn Media Group, Minister Duane 'Chozenn' Besentie, who started the event just three years ago, told The Gleaner that the festival will cater to all age groups.
"It's a wholesome family experience. Food, fun, fashion and music will be the order of the day," he said.
Marketing director for Chozenn Media Group, Shanelle Bethune, believes that Kierra Sheard's addition to the show will add value to the annual food and music festival.
"We have signed the contract and she is excited about visiting Kingston. This year's festival experience is highly anticipated and we look forward to the lives of many Jamaicans being transformed through this ministry. We declare breakthrough, deliverance ... we are just super excited to see how the Holy Spirit moves," she said.
CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS
Kierra Sheard, to date, has released six albums, topping several charts, and is also the daughter of veteran gospel singer/Grammy award winner, Karen Clark Sheard, and Pastor Drew Sheard. Also an entrepreneur in her own right, Kierra has also helped to transform the fashion industry with her own Eleven60 clothing line, which has graced runways in New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, and Seoul.
The artiste also ventured into reality TV in 2013 when, along with her family, she launched The Sheards, which was a reality show hosted on international urban media outlet, Black Entertainment Television (BET).
In addition to Sheard's performance, a strong contingent of locally based gospel acts like Kevin Downswell, Chozenn, D-Murphy, Anovah Love Jones and the dynamic Joseph Emanuel are also expected to hit the stage.
The event will also feature Mobo Award-winning UK gospel artiste and preacher, Isaiah Raymond Dyer.
Gates at the Kingston Jerk and Gospel Music Festival will open to the public from 12:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
Not to be left out of the mix, a full day of entertainment has been scheduled for children and participating parents. The venue will feature mechanical and non-mechanical rides, Jamaica Karate Club demonstration and the highly anticipated Celebrity Cook-Off, which is set to commence at 2 p.m. The 2015 winner for the latter competition, recording artiste Mr Lexx, is set to defend his title.
The Kingston Jerk and Gospel Music Festival has also expanded its entertainment features this year to include a Jerk Epi-centre, Food Court, Shopping village, DJ Spin-Off and a Fashion Show.
SPONSOR SUPPORT
The event is sponsored by TVJ, Clearsounds Productions, Cari-Med, Hope Gardens, Best Dressed Chicken, ATL Automotive, Purity, It's Pixel Perfect, Windsor Ridge and Sign Channel, Hawkeye, Love 101, Mega Jammz, Jamaica Cultural Development Commission and the Jamaica Tourist Board. Food partners include Rabb-Eats with their signature Jerk Rabbit, Scotchies, Fishpot, among a host of others.
Tickets are available for purchase at York Pharmacy, La Vega Pharmacy (Spanish Town) Portmore Mall Pharmacy, Genus Pharmacy (Braeton-Portmore), Total Gas Station Duhaney Park, Tutti Frutti (Loshusan Barbican), Hair Extreme (New Kingston Shopping Centre) and Di Spot at UWI Mona.
"It's awesome local culinary fused with the world's best gospel talents, 100 per cent Christ-centred. It could have been Kingston Jerk Festival, but no, we went gospel. The move to Hope Gardens was strategic, because you can cater to a family setting better and the entire day is fun-filled. Gospel is what the people need to cause a transformation, and people should come out for a wholesome family experience and we will be jerking everything. We have the best restaurants on board and we will not be short-changing the people," Chozenn told The Gleaner.