JCDC Gospel Star winner’s mother ‘knew it was his time’

If there is one person who is happier than Raheim Betty, the JCDC Gospel Star winner for 2025, it has to be his mother, Valerie Mundle. On Sunday night, when he was announced the winner of the competition, she jumped out of her seat at the National Indoor Sports Centre and reached up to the front of the stage to celebrate. Her son looked down and saw her and told her gently, “Mommy, yuh can’t stay there.”

“I am so proud. I feel happy ... very happy. I told him, ‘Raheim, you got this, just focus.’ I know that it was his time. I am so glad I was there to witness it for myself,” a super excited Mundle said.

She told The Gleaner that on the day of the finals, she had no ride from St Ann to Kingston and broke down in tears, thinking she’d have to watch it on television or YouTube.

“I cried when I couldn’t get a ride. When I was getting ready to go church mi a cry, but I never want him to see me crying. But, Raheim told me not to worry myself. On my way to church, I said ‘God, you always make a way for me and I know you are going to mek mi go to the concert.’ And by time I reach church, Raheim text me and said, ‘Yuh ride coming 4:30 p.m.’ And I seh what a God! I couldn’t miss this finals,” Mundle shared with The Gleaner.

Betty didn’t tell his family that he had entered the Gospel Star Competition until he was selected as one of the finalists. It was his third time entering this particular competition and he had also entered other singing competitions before, including Digicel Rising Stars.

“When Raheim told me I said, ‘Good, this is your chance to show Jamaica what you can do.’ Because I know he can sing. We realised that Raheim had the talent when he was about 11 [years old] and he sang at his great grandmother’s funeral. He was in grade seven at Knox College at the time,” a delighted Mundle said, adding that her phone has been inundated with congratulatory messages from family and friends.

Betty, a former educator who taught English language, literature and communications studies, has his focus firmly fixed on breaking into the music industry in a meaningful way. When he walked on stage after being announced the winner, tears rolled down his cheeks.

“I was crying because I have been trying so hard for years and years in the different competitions and I have never made it to this point, ever. I was encouraged by a friend to enter this year and I did it. I must say that it was challenging for me because I have been experiencing a lot of hardship from 2024 into 2025 ... but here I am, God came through,” said Betty, who is member of the praise team at his church in St Ann.

He was one of 10 finalists who sang their way into the hearts of Jamaicans over the five weeks of the Gospel Star competition and the only male. The other competitors were: Shushana Levy; Raechel Benjamin; Joraine Welsh; Donielle Anderson; Shacquera Bernard; Aleece Neufville; Vanessa Smith; the sister duo AMF; and Vanessa Forbes.

Four finalists were selected from the original 10, among them Betty, who was the eventual winner; Joraine Welsh, who placed second; Donielle Anderson, the third place winner and Raechel Benjamin in fourth. As part of the programme, each finalist got the chance to duet on stage with a gospel artiste of their choice.

Donielle Anderson chose Dian Barnett for a powerful rendition of Rooted and Grounded; Betty and Johnmark Wiggan had the people running around in praise; Joraine Welsh and Jai Kingston performed Everything’s Going to be Alright; and Raechel Benjamin teamed up with Kevin Downswell to bring the house down.

Betty, for his last hurrah, chose the gospel favourite I Must Tell Jesus, to claim the big prize of $1 million, courtesy of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), along with Sagicor gift vouchers and gift packages from HEART/NSTA Trust and the Jamaica Public Service. Courtesy of Shemar Grant Productions, Betty will be given the opportunity to record a single and music video.

A robust praise and worship concert with Rondell Positive, Kevin Downswell, and others, had some in the audience getting “in the spirit” as the gospel artistes brought the curtains down. The night’s emcee was Nadine Blair.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com