By David Hinkson
When Gospelfest returns this weekend after a two-year absence owing to the coronavirus pandemic, one of the featured acts will be eleven-year-old Janae Johnson, who has just released her first single, titled “With All I Need”.
Her mother, Nicole Johnson, described the Wilkie Cumberbatch Primary School student as “an astute child with a pure and sincere spirit”, and noted that initially she was timid, but at the age of five she found her voice and began singing at her family’s church, the Church of God of Prophecy.
From that point, Nicole said, “She began singing and dancing in church on a regular basis, and at one point, she was the only child in the church’s regional adult choir. She took her talent to another level in 2019 when she entered the Digicel Kids Gospel Challenge Contest. She was the youngest contestant that year at nine years old, but her brave and commanding performance won the hearts of the judges. Following that, she took part in Baje to the World in 2020, and in 2021 she tried her hand at the Digicel competition again, this time placing in the top three.”
In the wake of that contest, Nicole said, “In recognising her talent, renowned Barbadian gospel artiste Pastor John Yarde reached out to her and wrote and produced her first single.” Nicole added, “Janae’s song can be used to inspire adults and children who feel like they do not fit in, and it speaks to her experience among her peers.”
Janae, who also plays the steel pan, is presently working on another single, one which she wrote herself, and says she wants to become a professional artiste as she truly enjoys singing. She has also caught the attention of an Emmy Award-winning artiste who has expressed an interest in working with her and taking her talent to unprecedented heights.
