Singing for a cause ‘Strictly The Best 60’
raising Prayer Breakfast of the
Bronx-based church, St. Matthias
Charities, Inc.
The sell-out audience left
after the four-hour-plus-long
event with not only good food
for the body but spiritual food
for the soul.
Durrant — a youth leader
at her father’s, Cecil Durrant,
church, Bethany Deliverance
Church of God, on Rogers Avenue
in Crown Heights, Brooklyn
— teased patrons mid-way
through the Prayer Breakfast.
She belched out “Hold My
Hands,” “Look to the Father,”
“Sweet Name,” “In the Sweet,”
“The Lord Will Make a Way,”
“In the Cross” and “I Sing Hallelujah”.
After the mouth-watering,
sumptuous meal — comprising,
among others, Vincentian
delicacies, such as saltfish and
breadfruit, smoked herring, tritri
cakes, and fried jack fish and
ballahoo — she brought the
house down with “I Am Your
Child” “I Will Not Be Denied,”
and “Stumble and Fall.”
“Look to the Father,” “I Sing
Hallelujah” and “I Am Your
Child” were written and produced
by Allan “Tom” Doyle,
owner and producer of San
Souci Studio in the Canarsie
section of Brooklyn. Doyle were
among patrons reveling in Durrant’s
Caribbean L 42 ife, Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2019
performance.
“It was a very exciting experience
being among Vincentian
people,” Durrant told Caribbean
Life afterwards. “It’s
always great to feel at home. I
felt the warmth and the love
coming from the audience.”
Durrant said she migrated to
New York at what she described
as “a young age” and “began a
new chapter” in her life.
She said she faced many
challenges, but, with God’s
grace, she overcame them.
She also disclosed that she
won “the fight with cancer” and
has dedicated her life to “ministering
the gospel through singing
and music.”
“To God be the glory for
His grace and favor!” Durrant
exclaimed.
Gospel buffs can hear and see
more of Durrant, as she evangelizes
in song, on Dec. 7, during
her church’s Holiday Fundraising
Dinner, at Trinity Apostolic
Banquet Hall, 1807 Pacific St.,
between Schenectady and Utica
avenues, Brooklyn.
Bishop Merton Cumberbatch,
the Vincentian-born pastor of
St. Anthony’s Divine Church of
Healing in the Flatbush section
of Brooklyn, brought the word
at the Prayer Breakfast, urging
patrons to “Stop Hiding and
Arise.”
“I believe there’s a purpose why
God sent you here this morning,”
he preached. “I don’t want you to
leave without God having a purpose
in your life.
“So, make a change,” he added.
“Arise and know that God is able.
He’s able to make a way out of no
way. Arise this morning!”
Pastor Simeon King, of the
Mission of God Ministries in
Brooklyn, also prayed for the
people of St. Vincent and the
Grenadines and patrons’ adopted
country, the United States of
America.
remain close and thoroughly
informed. So, our calypsonians
bring all the happenings
and entertainment in song to
Vincentians living not just in
New York but throughout the
world.
“This, in itself, makes us,
Vincentians, a unique people,”
Providence continued, stating
that becoming president of
the Dynamite Calypso Tent is,
indeed, an honor.”
“Given the reason the tent
was organized and our achievements
thus far, the feeling
among us is clear – that there
is room for advancement,” he
said. And we are all willing and
ready to work assiduously to
make the tent be reckoned as
an authority in our field.”
Providence succeeded his
fellow calypsonian John “D
Truth” Dougan in the election.
“This, in itself, is a great
challenge since he did such a
good job and set the bar high
in his tenure,” said Providence,
disclosing that this is his 46th
year in the calypso business.
He said he started writing
and performing as a student
at the Kingstown Anglican
school.
His major achievements
include capturing the Primary
School Calypso Monarch in St.
Vincent and the Grenadines at
13; co-founding and leading for
10 years of “what can still be
considered the best calypso tent
in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
and a household name,
the Ontour Calypso Tent”; and
capturing the St. Vincent and
the Grenadines Carnival and
Independence Calypso Monarch
titles in 1992 and 1996.
Other achievements are:
Capturing the Washington,
D.C. Calypso Monarch title in
2003 and 2005; capturing the
Baltimore, MD Calypso Monarch
title in 2005; and capturing
the Second Place and People’s
Choice Award in Miami
in 2004.
Besides Providence, others
elected to the Dynamite Calypso
Tent executive for a two-year
term comprise: Atiba Williams
(vice president); Garnes Byron
(secretary); Dougan (treasurer);
Dennis Bowman (public
relations officer); and Errol
“D man Age” Rose, Jose Juan,
Hilford Hurst and Delahanty
Isles (committee members).
“The new executive is
charged with reinvigorating
the tent and ensuring its viability,
so it increasingly becomes
a force to be reckoned with,”
said Bowman, another veteran
calypsonian, in a statement.
He said among activities
that are being considered for
2020 and beyond are a calypso
symposium “to discuss the
development of the art form”;
and shows for the preliminary
judging for Vincy Mas calypso
semifinals, Independence and
Christmas, and an innovative
‘Sunday Skool.’”
“The leadership highlighted
the need for the Vincentian
and wider Caribbean and New
York Community to embrace
the tent’s effort to keep this
rich cultural tradition alive
and to promote calypso as an
important musical expression
that should be embraced by
everyone, especially the youth,”
Bowman said.
Providence thanked “all our
The new executive of Dynamite Calypso Tent of New York.
Seated from left: Delahanty Isles, Errol “D Man Age” Rose,
and John Dougan. Standing from left: Hilford Hurst, Atiba
Williams, Garnes Byron, Dennis Bowman and Carlos “Rejector”
Providence.Missing from photo is Jose Juan.
Dynamite Calypso Tent
fans, supporters and well-wishers
for being with us through
the years,” adding that he looks
“towards your continued support,
as we endeavor to make
your experiences with us more
edifying, informing and entertaining.”
Continued from Page 41
Bishop Merton Cumberbatch
urges patrons to “Stop Hiding
and Arise.”
Photo by Nelson A. King
Continued from Page 41
aired on Tuesday, Nov. 19
from the BRIC production
facility in Brooklyn, New York
at 7 pm. The event was be the
first time that a broadcast was
done from New York and aired
live on Jamaica’s RETV and
VP Records YouTube channel.
Those who participated
included Christopher Martin,
Romain Virgo, Richie Spice,
Noah Powa, Dovey Magnum,
D Major, Red Fox, The Danca
family and more.
The event will be hosted
by On The Riddim’s (OTR- VP
Records YouTube show) Kevin
Crown and Queen Bremmer
who will also be filming the
season finale in the same
space earlier that day in which
some of the same artists will
be apart of.
STB 60 combines two discs
of hits in one package. Disc 1
consists of reggae and lovers
rock tracks. Featured tracks
on the disc include “General”
by Christopher Martin
and “Together we Stand” by
Richie Spice. The powerful
anthem tells a story of being
united in a time when division
is more prevalent than
ever. Exclusives on the album
include a remake of Lorna
Bennet’s “Breakfast in Bed” by
former Voice winner Tessanne
Chin and “Lost My Heart” by
emerging solo reggae artist,
Kumar Bent.
Disc 2 features dancehall
tracks. Stand-outs include
“One Way” by Vybz Kartel
and “Glow” by Romain Virgo
and Christopher Martin. The
music video for “Glow” has
recently amassed over 628K
views on YouTube. Another
exclusive to STB 60 is “No
Stress” by Noah Powa who
has been making waves in
New York City and beyond
with recent interviews on
Breakfast Club, Lip Service
and an appearance on Angela
Yee Day.
Continued from Page 41
VINCENTIAN MUSICAL BOND
“Strictly The Best 60” compilation
produced by VP
Records.