Kevin Downswell defends the church
IN recent months, the church has been at the centre of a much-heated debate about its role in crime-fighting. While some argue it should do more than pray, gospel singer Kevin Downswell said there are plenty of Christians who are out in the field but shy away from the publicity.
“We are doing more, way more. I don’t just come on stage, sing songs, come off, and go home. For the past two years, I have been on this venture to find some troubled youth and focus the whole year on them. This means mentoring them for about eight months, so we are doing a lot but we are not the ones to brag. People tend to know only what they’ve heard and seen, but much more is happening behind the curtains,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
Last month, Rev Johnathan Hemmings — pastor of the Ocho Rios Baptist Church in St Ann — said the church is responsible for peace-making and has no skills to fight crime. His utterances were made at the funeral of ex-councillor Clifford Cunningham, who served St James in the 1980s.
Downswell, a leading voice in Jamaican gospel since 2005, said the genre has the ability to induce positive changes.
“I don’t think people underestimate gospel or the message because I’ve been in the field and I see don and gunman break down the minute they hear the gospel. I just think we need a little bit more chance to be seen. It’s like a diamond in the rough; no one knows the true value until it floats out,” he said.
Downswell has managed to build an impressive career and recently inked a distribution deal with Tuff Gong International. His fourth album, Realignment: A Live Encounter, will feature 17 tracks and is being co-produced by Downswell and Dwain “Wiya” Campbell.
“The album is done and I am so excited. We are releasing it in June and we will have the launch events in Kingston on June 23; Savanna-la-Mar on June 15; and Mandeville on June 16. We do music from the depths of our heart; we don’t try to create a hit. Our intention is to transform a life and whatever happens is like an accessory to the actual goal. We don’t take the impact we have for granted. We are so grateful and that positions us to access more lives and do more on a deeper level and we don’t take that lightly. It’s a humble thing,” he added.