Janita Burke wrote Just Believe after Somerset’s resounding ten-wicket victory over St George’s last Cup Match.

A dedicated supporter of the West End team, she meant it to be a gentle poke at St George’s fans. Her hope is that it’s played at the field after Somerset trounce St George’s again this week.

The producer of the song, Abimbola “Bim” Bademosi, doesn’t see things quite the same way.

“I have faith in my team, St George’s, that they will pull off the win this year,” he said.

His grandfather, Raymond Webson, was the second West Indian to play in Cup Match, representing St George’s in 1941.

Despite that, his aim is to have the song played and viewed as many times as possible leading up to the game and after.

“I knew the composition of the music had to be just as on fire, just as hot as the lyrics are,” the diehard St George’s fan said. “As the composer and producer, I knew my production team had to be all St George’s supporters and as such hold down the music element of this production.”

The song began playing on local radio last week.

“I was just getting on to a boat when the Somerset motorcade was about to start,” Ms Burke said. “We were boarding across from Woody’s and the Somerset fans were lining up for the motorcade.”

As the melody and lyrics came to her, she pulled out her phone and started recording: “St George’s, I know the time is hard/You got beaten in your yard/But know in your defeat/The tables will turn/Lessons will learn/Just believe.”

Added Ms Burke: “There was a little bit of friction when the motorcade got to St George’s, which I heard about the next day, so I concluded the song, reminding us really that we’re all family and that there must be love during and following the game.”

Mr Bademosi and the other St George’s supporters who worked on Just Believe saw it as an opportunity to express diversity and togetherness in song.

Ms Burke worked as a lawyer for 22 years before handing in her notice two years ago.

“I enjoyed the law, but I wanted to step back and make sure that was the path I wanted to continue on,” she said.

Songs started coming to her shortly after. The positive reception she got from friends and family encouraged her. Although she writes music in different styles, each song is meant to be uplifting and inspirational.

Ms Burke released Stand Still, a song about the death of a friend, in 2020. She followed that up the following year with My Unexpected Is Now and Oh The Cross at Easter. At the end of 2021 someone suggested Mr Bademosi as a producer for a new song, Mama’s Love.

“In January we connected,” she said. “I shared a bit about my background. I said I have a gift of songwriting and don’t have any musical background. I let him listen to a couple of songs and he said, ‘Yes, let’s partner up.’”

A month later the two created a music company, Kairos XXII Productions. Kairos is an ancient Greek word that means “opportune time”.

“We both wanted to provide a platform to showcase Bermuda talent, to help people like us produce their original songs and infuse the world with the inspiring and uplifting music that the Lord had blessed us with,” Ms Burke said.

Mr Bademosi insisted that the best way for music to be heard was live and so they formed the Century 22 band.

“It was composed of six phenomenal vocalists, including Candace Furbert, and two musicians and we brought our music live to the Willowbank Resort every Saturday in June. We called the show The Experience.”

The band performed nine original songs written by Ms Burke, including Just Believe, and one song written by Shardae Lee.

“We decided it was important to get Just Believe out to the wider public before Cup Match,” Ms Burke said. “I was a little more enthusiastic about that than Bim was, given that I am a Somerset fan and he is a St George’s fan.”

The duo received a small grant from the Bermuda Arts Council to produce the song. For the first time Ms Burke sang under the name JB Psalm. Singer Sarafina “Amora Rose” Durrant, drummer Dwight Hart and guitarists Wentworth “Wentsie” Woolridge and Kieran Bradshaw performed alongside her.

“While not a singer, I was forced to sing in Just Believe as all of the band members, save three of us, were for St George's and while they liked the song, they refused to sing it,” she said. “Thankfully, Bim and Wentsie continued to play.”

This week they released a music video through their YouTube channel, Kairos XXII Productions. Deesa Booth at 21 Mile Films put the video together which includes Ms Burke’s daughter, McKenzie Bean, playing the tambourines.

“My mom has always been an inspiration to me and I love her so much,” the eight-year-old said.

Just Believe is available for free: kairos22prod@gmail.com; @kairos22productions on Instagram. The song can also be purchased on all streaming platforms.