England to rock Jazz Fest tonight

Western Bureau:Prior to the 2010 Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, nobody knew who the dreadlocked Claudius England was. However, after earning two encores for the melodious lyrics he performed on the small stage, his stock soared on account of the rich accolades and great media reviews the performance attracted.

Come tonight, England will be back at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival. However, this time he will be belting out his soothing lyrics from the main stage, which he will be sharing with the likes of John Legend, Monica, KC and the Sunshine Band, Dionne Warwick, and Romain Virgo.

The just-concluded 2012 was a special year for England, who is a product of Montego Bay. The year started with the pleasing news that he had been nominated in two categories for the Atlanta Gospel Music Awards - the categories of 'Best New Artiste' and 'Most Uplifting Song.'

After his Atlanta Gospel Music Awards nominations, Love 101 FM named England the 'One To Watch' for 2012. A few weeks later, he was also nominated for Chicago's International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) in the category of Best Gospel Oriented Song.

In addition to using his voice to spread the gospel, England has also been backing up his words with action. In 2011, he was involved in the Olic Project - an initiative created to promote love and unity surrounding the issue of HIV/AIDS. His single on HIV was used as the official theme song.

In recent times, England has been spearheading the project 'Friday Nites Plugged,' a national series in which gospel artistes lend their time, reasoning on various topics with youth in churches, schools, and communities. The series, which provides wholesome and entertaining activities, also includes a concert element.

Among the gospel acts who have participated in the Friday Nites Plugged event, which is staged as a partnership with The Bureau of Women's Affairs in support of its Unite to End Violence Against Women campaign, are Kevin Downswell, Prodigal Son, DJ Nicholas, Jermaine Edwards, Kevin Smith, and Rondel Positive.