5 Questions with … Kevin Downswell

With close to two decades in the music industry, Kevin Downswell has been a guiding light for Jamaicans as a gospel artiste who has kept it real and authentic with his fans over the years. 

Recently, he felt moved to reach out by issuing what for him is a compelling clarion call in the form of a powerful musical message titled Steady on the WYFL riddim. Just ahead of his upcoming album launch, we dropped five questions on the Take The Lead singer to address what to him seems like a troubling trend of young people losing their identity; his current projects and why he continues to choose God over everything.

1. Tell us about your new song on the WYFL riddim; what inspired it?

 I’m completing an album, but I felt like I was in a space where I was becoming very concerned with what was happening right now as people are being thrown off centre, especially the young people who are struggling today with their identity because of all of these distractions, including social media, which is possibly the strongest contributor. Jamaica is going through so much that I needed an urgent message to drop because I feel like a lot of people’s foundation is shaking, and they needed a reminder that easy, God’s got this, so be steady. I feel like we are in a season right now when many people are being challenged by so many demands, so this is a call for them to refocus on God. Peter, when he was walking on the water, the reason why he sank was that he took his eyes off God, and that is a reminder to people that the waves may be billowing, the wind may be howling, and everything shaking, but I promise you, if you keep your eyes on God, he will keep you steady.

2. What keeps you motivated and steady in your relationship with God, especially in this social media and materialist era?

 I never found gospel or found God; God found me. I didn’t get up and say I wanted to become a gospel artiste; in fact, I ran and said I don’t want that because I have seen the struggle of other gospel artistes, and I said no, I want to be able to take care of my family, and God said ‘just trust me’. So, this wasn’t a career move, it was a surrender move, and to be honest, I have no regrets. I told God, do what you want to do to me without the limelight and popularity, and he said all of that is just the accessory, just focus on what I want you to do, and it has been an incredible journey.

3. What do you say to someone who declares that a spiritual relationship with a higher power in 2026 is irrelevant or unnecessary?

 Look at yourself, if you are still breathing, that is a testament that God is real. There are so many people who attribute their success to their own ability or own strength, not knowing that is false. My life is a testament for those wondering if God is real. Take a look at Kevin Downswell’s life because there is no way he would be alive now without God. There were too many crossroads and traps, where if it was my strength alone, I would have been a statistic. I know we live in a world where we want to touch and feel everything and we run on hype, but God is not loud. So if you serve him, you serve him; if you don’t, that doesn’t make him any less God. Whether we serve him or not, he is God.

4. Other than your music, what else has brought a big smile to your face recently?

 Late last year, I released my second book, Midnight to Victory, which became a best seller on Amazon, a 90-day devotional that people used as a prayer manual, and in April of this year I released my third book called Oil on My Head, Dirt on My Feet and like the second book, is also doing very well. So this boy who never used to like reading is now writing books. And I said to myself, I’m not going to break the trend, so I’m working on my fourth book while I’m working on my album.

5. What other projects are you currently working on?

I have always been dedicated to giving back, and I do so through my initiative called ‘Realignment’, which is a programme started in 2017 for abandoned and abused children in Jamaica that was on hiatus, but I have now reactivated it and will showcase a major event close to the end of the year. A lot of doors that I prayed for to open over the past 10 … 15 years are finally opening now, so who but God could have made that possible?

nicola.cunningham@gleanerjm.com