Music continues to be the universal language intended to stand the test of time, and the sentiment was on full display during the 2026 Jazz in the Gardens (JITG) Fest in Miami Gardens, Florida.
What once started in a parking lot has become an annual reunion for music lovers, local, domestic and worldwide. During an event like JITG, festival-goers get a chance to leave their worries at home through personal connections with their favorite artists and hits that stick like grits.
On music being the soundtrack for folks’ lives
“It feels good,” R&B singer Donell Jones told Blavity when asked how it feels to know that his music has become the soundtrack to people’s lives since he first hit the scene in the early ’90s.
“When I wrote my songs, most of my songs were based on personal experiences, things that I’ve been through, so I didn’t write them thinking that it was going to really help somebody else. I wrote them as therapy for me,” he continued. “But, you know, I guess in life, we all go through the same type of thing. No matter what it is, we’re all connected in some kind of way. So it touched some hearts, and I appreciate that.”
For fellow R&B singer Sunshine Anderson, who was also a part of the D-Nice and Friends set during night one of JITG alongside Donell Jones, Case and SWV, with host Kenny Burns, any chance that she gets to perform her hit “Heard It All Before” in front of a crowd of fans brings her one step closer to realizing her purpose.
“I’ve been out here for 25 years, and when 25 years go by, you kind of ask yourself, like, ‘God, why you still got me out here?’ Especially in times like right now, in times of the pandemic, and I figured out that it’s my purpose, it is my pleasure, that God has gifted me with the talent and the spirit to lift people up, if only in that moment. That’s my job,” said Anderson.
Using music to share a bigger message
Southern Soul artist King George hit the stage on Sunday, closing out his performance with “Keep On Rollin,” which has become a life mantra, not only for himself but for his fans.
“It’s kind of unexplainable,” he said when asked what it means to perform songs that provide such feel-good energy for people. “It’s a good feeling. I’ve had a lot of people tell me that the songs help them get through life situations and stuff like that.”
Of his “Keep On Rollin’” anthem, he added, “That’s how life is. It really don’t matter what happened or what’s going on. The most important part is as long as you keep up, get up, and keep on going, so I came up with the slogan, ‘Keep On Rollin’”
Pastor Mike Jr. was the only gospel artist to hit the stage during this year’s JITG Fest, and it’s an opportunity that he doesn’t take for granted.
“Gospel music is the only genre of music where the message, plus the melody, equals a miracle,” he said. “I had the opportunity on my flight over here to meet a lady who’s going through cancer chemo treatments, and she was like, ‘I listen to your song every morning. It just lifts my spirit.’”
He added, “Whether we like it or not, music isn’t just something that feels good; it’s spiritual. And so for me, I’m so honored and excited to create music that inspires people, not just in the four walls of the church, but people on the outskirts. Somebody just told me, ‘You’re my TikTok pastor.’ I was like, ‘What that mean?” [And he was like] ‘I don’t do church and all that, but every time I see your clips, it blesses me.’ So, I just want to be that person who meets people right where they are, and I’m grateful that my music or my messages allow me to do that.”
The post Donell Jones, Sunshine Anderson And More Talk The Legacy And Purpose That Comes WIth Their Music appeared first on Blavity.