Tinga Stewart is congratulated by a member of the audience as he performs on the Festival Song show in which he took the prize singing Ernie Smith's 'Play De Music'. (1974)- File

What do you feel you are more known for, the festival songs or your other songs?

I've been known in all aspects. I was known in the cabaret and hotel scenes, I did the festival scene and I did the dancehall circuit with the whole lovers' rock thing. So I did festival and I have hit songs otherwise and some of my new fans don't even know that I did festival.

Why did you decide to enter the Popular Song contest (then called the National Festival Song Competition)?

When I was coming up, I wanted to enter something. I entered first in 1973 and they didn't pick the song, but it had the line 'play the music' in there. One day I went to Montego Bay and I saw Ernie Smith and we drove up together. While we were on our way, I told him about the song and the line 'play the music' and we got inspired to write the song while we were driving. Then I entered in 1974 with Play De Music and won.

What did entering the competition do for your career?

It did kinda hol' my career down because people saw me as just a festival artiste and only call on me when festival time came around. I was stigmatised. I did that by singing other songs like Inside My Heart and Cover Me with Ninja.

What are your thoughts on song competitions?

All I know is that more money in there, but they need more popular artistes going in there. It needs something in there to spice it up. In terms of Rising Stars, it's great.

Do you think Jamaicans accept people from these song competitions as 'real' artistes?

In terms of Rising Stars, yes they do, but if you are a popular song winner I don't know. How can it be a popular song contest if when you win the song is not being heard and is not creating a storm?

- K.C.