A proud Winston Hussey displays his Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Festival Song Winner trophy at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, Hope Road, on Sunday night. - Winston Sill

When Calvin McFarlane was named Best Performer at the Festival Song 2K9 finals on Sunday night, his supporters reacted as if he had won the overall competition.

The Jamaica Nuff Niceness singer did win $300,000 and a trophy from Tastee, plus prizes from Digicel and Cooyah, but it was Winston Hussey who took home the million-dollar winner's cheque for Take Back Jamaica.

When a triumphant Hussey performed the winning song, the other finalists were behind him on the stage at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, Hope Road, St Andrew. And a few of them, including McFarlane had utilised other people while delivering their entries, to add some drama to the song.

plate with festivals

Marching onstage after a lanky male dancer had dropped some sinewy moves, McFarlane saluted the crowd before he started singing, the Gumption Band in good nick supporting all the performers. There was some drama when another man came out holding a plate with festivals, a lady with a huge bosom in the mix as well, to the delight of the crowd.

Then there was a man who came out in a red, green and gold hat, locks flowing. Then McFarlane, still singing, snatched it off to show a bald head.

Stacia, who was named Most Improved Finalist, made a pitch for her Yard Trendz clothing line with a male dancer at the very end of her Love Jamaica, while Chris Christie had a back-up vocalist intoning a guttural 'woo' (which he did as well) during Jamrock Land of the King.

Nathan, singing of The Vibes, had a strong dramatic input, a farmer character with an oversized machete slashing away at imaginary grass as he sang about tilling the soil. Other characters emphasising parts of the song included a student.

Oba Simba's staff was as much for support as it was for effect and he limped noticeably at points during his Feel The Pressure. Simba won $40,000 for being the Most Disciplined Performer.

cheering wildly

The announcement of the winning song was handled in a way that helped stem any potential controversy, as MC Jerry D announced the winning producer first. After Lloyd Grant collected his prize for the winning song and Hussey's pocket of supporters started cheering wildly, Jerry D said, "so you get it by now, huh?"

While a jubilant Hussey performed the 2009 Festival Song, Take Back Jamaica, twice asking triumphantly "a wha dem a go do now?" and his core of supporters cheered him on from just in front of the stage, many members of the audience filed out silently.

Guest performers Roy Rayon, Busy Signal and Christopher Martin were hits with the audience.