Reggae Gospel Singer Kevin Downswell Says He’s Shunned Lucrative Offers To “Go Secular”

Reggae Gospel singer Kevin Downswell has revealed that he has had to shun many highly lucrative offers to “go secular” during his music career, but that he would not have been as successful as he is had he gone down that path.

During an interview on Television Jamaica’s The Entertainment Report, Downswell was asked about comments he made during a listening session for his two upcoming albums (Grace and The Shift), about “people who departed the ministry and moved on,” and to elaborate on “why was it surprising.”

“It wasn’t shocking to me.  But it hit home because I got personally to places to areas in my life where I could have been like that,” the Carry Me singer explained.

When asked by veteran entertainment journalist Anthony Miller whether or not “you would have been more successful had you gone secular,” Downswell alluded to the fact that while financial temptation had come his way, he would not give up Christ for money.

“No.  I am saying I could have given up long time ago… but let’s talk about secular.  There has been so many offers…   We (gospel artistes) go through a lot.  People have no idea of the many things we say ‘no’ to.”

“Bro, just seh di word and it is in your account immediately.  That amount of money can change your whole life’”, he said, recounting the words of a secular music functionary who made him one such offer.

“And then, you look at it and you say: ‘God bless you, but Christ is the centre of everything’.   And you are human and of course you want your songs to go to hundred millions on YouTube.  But at the end of the day, the centrepiece is: I want you to make it to the next day; I want you to fall in love with God again… and that is why we write, to get these songs that be ladders to carry you through different seasons and different times,” he added.

According to Downswell, following the album launch this Saturday, there will be tours spanning Africa, Europe, and even Australia.

“And that happened by not selling wiself out,” he declared.

When asked to elaborate on the albums’ “high points,” Downswell named the collaborations, including one with his daughter Carissa, which was voiced when she was just 16 months old, among his top picks.

“The fact that I chose to use my own in Jamaica rather than international… that was intentional because sometimes people would feel like you know, you have to have foreign connected to you to find some validation, when we have treasure right here.  And this album was intentionally that,” he explained.

“And so if we need a rap we have a rapper tight here in a Jamaica… and if we need a deejay we have a deejay here Rodney Price,” he added, referring to Bounty Killer, who is featured on the track Call Him.

On Tuesday, Downswell announced on Instagram that VIP tickets for his album launch and concert, which is set for Saturday have already been sold out.

“I want to thank all the people who made their purchases, and I can’t wait to see you this Saturday, July 1, 2023, at the Ambassadors at 63 Hagley Park Road, Kingston 10, It will be EPIC🥳… A few days ago, we did tell you this would happen, and we know very soon we will also be posting that GENERAL TICKETS are also sold out. It’s just a matter of time for this to happen,” he stated.

Downswell released his debut album, Close To You, back in 2008. He followed up with The Search Continues in 2012 and All the Way in 2016, which had hits such as Goodbye World, Nothing Without You and Christian Soldier.  He followed up with Realignment: The Live Encounter in 2018, which carried hits such as One Day, If Its not You, Change is Coming and You Make Me Stronger.

Born in Westmoreland, Downswell spent his early years between Portmore, St Catherine, and Kingston and began singing seriously while attending the Jose Marti Technical and Camperdown High Schools.

He won the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s Gospel Competition in 2003 with the song Praise. In 2005, he had his first major hit with Naah Bow, a collab with DJ Nicholas and Jermaine Edwards. That song also won the 2006 Marlin Awards for Best Reggae Recording of the Year.