Busy Labour Day weekend in NY for Abi-D

Abigail 'Abi-D' Dunstan, the 2025 Festival Song Competition winner, dazzled diaspora communities in the New York over the Labour Day weekend. The singer was on a five-day promotional tour to amplify her single, ' Sweet JA'.

The rising star's first stop was at PIX 11 TV, where she kicked off Labour Day weekend celebrations with an interview on the morning show. She won the hearts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut TV audiences with her live performance of the Festival song. By the time she was done with her rendition, the staff members at PIX were rocking and singing the words of Sweet JA.

"I see a Grammy in your future," PIX 11 anchor Hazel Sanchez told Dunstan.

Later on Friday, Abi-D performed at the Outside Lounge in Queens and the following day, VP Records hosted a community meet-and-greet. On Saturday, Patricia Chin, CEO of VP Records, and Clive Blackwood, executive vice-president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, made presentations to the Ardenne alumna. Blackwood's was on behalf of members of the Ardenne community in New York.

Chin, in affirming her support for Abi-D, stated, "We at VP Records will do all we can to assist this amazing artiste as her multi-layered talents continue to come to the forefront."

Labour Day weekend is by far the largest promotional platform for Caribbean brands. TV networks are laser-focused on Caribbean culture and the West Indian Labour Day parade, with its colourful floats gliding along Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn attracts over a million revellers waving their national flags and proudly celebrating their culture.

While in New York, the JCDC Festival Song Competition winner also did interviews with a number of radio stations and news agencies, including WESU FM, Linkage Radio, Roadblock Radio/CBS, Winner's Circle Radio, JAIRIE Radio, Caribbean Life and Amsterdam News. She raced back to Jamaica on Monday for a show at Sandals Dunns River; and the bright spark, who loves to cook, is expected to resume her final-year studies at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts shortly.