SINGING THE GOSPEL What’s Your Name
raise funds for the restoration
of the church’s pipe organ.
The event featured internationally
acclaimed artists Lucia
Bradford, mezzo-soprano;
Marvin Lowe, bass-baritone;
Brandie Sutton, soprano; and
Michael Booker, pianist.
“This concert maintained
the usual high standard of previous
concerts of presenting
artists of international acclaim
who have performed in the
opera and concert stages of the
world,” Prescod, who traces his
roots to Jamaica and Barbados,
told Caribbean Life.
“The selections evoked the
spiritual awareness of the audience
and brought much emotion
because the selections
were delivered with great musicianship,
much feeling and
clear diction,” added Prescod,
who also serves at the church’s
organist. “The audience was
moved to tears on many occasions
and spiritually uplifted
due to the renditions of the
artists.”
He said each artist participated
in solos, duets and
ensembles — “always singing
from the depths of their souls
and giving outstanding performances.”
“The accompanist was
remarkable,” Prescod said. “He
played with a sensitiveness of
the artists and provided the
required support of the music.
He was charismatic, dramatic
and totally in control.
“The audience enjoyed keeping
an eye on him, because he
played with great passion,” he
added. “Likewise, the artists
were most engaging in their
performances. The concert
again drew a large enthusiastic
and receptive audience.”
Lowe sang “I want Jesus to
Walk with Me,” “I’m Gonna
Tell God All My Trouble,” “Deep
River,” “It is well with My Soul”
and “Amazing Grace.”
Bradford rendered “Lord,
How Come Me Here,” “Soon
Ah Will be Done,” and “Great is
thy faithfulness.”
Sutton offered “Over my
Head,” “Come Thou Fount”
and “Love divine all loves excelling.”
Caribbean L 54 ife, NOVEMBER 22-28, 2019
Sutton also collaborated
with Bradford on “Fairest Lord
Jesus,” and Sutton and Lowe
partnered on “Even Me.”
In addition, all three artists
joined the congregation in
singing “Blessed Assurance,”
“I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired,”
“You’d Better Mind” and “When
We All Get to Heaven.”
Besides accompanying the
artists, Booker was in his element
with “Total Praise.”
“The concert was followed
by a sumptuous reception in
the auditorium, affording the
audience an opportunity for
fellowship and conversation,”
Prescod said.
sional Reps. Yvette D. Clarke
and Gregory Meeks; and
Assemblymembers Nick Perry
and Diana Richardson.
One Caribbean NYC noted
that natural disasters throughout
the Caribbean region “have
become increasingly active;
and, with a growing population
of 4.4 million-plus Caribbean
immigrants who reside in
New York City, it is imperative
that we support our neighboring
countries in time of dire
need.”
On Friday a new Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB)
report estimated the total cost
of the impacts and effects of
Hurricane Dorian on the Bahamas
at US$3.4 billion, “with
hundreds dead or missing and
impacts on the economy that
will last for years.”
The Washington, D.C.-based
financial institution said the
estimate comes out to over a
quarter of the country’s gross
domestic product (GDP), or the
equivalent of the US losing the
combined economic outputs of
California, Texas and Florida.
“The magnitude of the
losses requires a new development
approach to achieve climate
and disaster resilience in
areas that range from location
of settlements to redesigning
infrastructure and strengthening
environmental protection,”
says the report, “Assessment
of the Effects and Impacts of
Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas.”
The IDB said that the
number of confirmed deaths
caused by Hurricane Dorian is
67, with 282 persons still missing
as of Oct. 18, 2019.
An additional 29,472 persons
were affected by the hurricane
by damages to their homes and
assets, the IDB said.
It noted that, between Sept. 1
and 3, Hurricane Dorian struck
Grand Bahama and Abaco with
“punishing winds and storm
surges,” with the island of New
Providence also suffering some
impacts.
“Inadequate construction
and infrastructure located in
vulnerable areas exacerbated the
storm’s impacts,” the IDB said.
Daniela Carrera-Marquis,
IDB representative, said: “It is
important that those directly
affected by the disaster feel the
presence and solidarity of the
government throughout the
difficult process ahead.
“Reconstruction efforts
will last many years, and will
require a well-coordinated participation
of public and private
sectors, civil society and the
international community,” she
said.
The IDB said the government
of the Bahamas asked it
to assess the impacts of Hurricane
Dorian.
As part of a long-standing
partnership, the IDB said it
teamed up with the United
Nations Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean
(ECLAC) for technical
assistance with the valuation.
The taskforce was complemented
by the Pan-American
Health Organization (PAHO),
the IDB said.
“Hurricane Dorian left a trail
of destruction to houses, essential
infrastructure and entire
ecosystems that will require
major investments,” said Omar
Bello, Coordinator for the Sustainable
Development & Disaster
Unit at ECLAC and a lead
author of the report.
“The economy and livelihoods
will be impacted for
years to come from the temporary
absence of damaged assets,
especially those of tourism and
fisheries,” he added.
The IDB said the Damage
and Loss Assessment (DaLA)
The Bahamas fundraiser group fl yer with the artistswho will
perform at the event..
team of external experts,
ECLAC, PAHO and IDB staff
started in early October “the
complex task of collecting relevant
baseline and post-disaster
data to assess the effects and
impacts of the disaster.”
The IDB said the US$3.4 billion
impact was divided as 72
percent in damage, 21 percent
in losses and 7 percent in additional
costs, with the private
sector absorbing almost 90 percent
of total losses.
Abaco suffered 87 percent of
the losses and 76 per cent of
the damage, the IDB said.
It added that the housing
sector suffered the highest
damage, while tourism sector
bore most of the losses.
The IDB said the Bahamian
economy is expected to grow
0.9 percent post-disaster.
It said the impact of Hurricane
Dorian is percentage
point of GDP, resulting in a
decrease in salaries of US$51.3
million and of capital income
of US$60.9 million.
Continued from Page 53
Rector of St. Paul’s Church in
the Village of Flatbush, the
Rev. Sheldon Hamblin (center),
with members of the
concert organizing committee.
Carlos Prescod
Continued from Page 53
co-written by Julius and Ian
‘Fojo” Corbin. Rebel Musik
produced it, Darren Gilbert
was the arranger, Fojo was
the vocal producer. And Parry
Jack mixed and mastered it.
Clyde Barrow played live guitar
and the brass licks on
the track; Larry Marsden also
played guitar and IBA played
bass. “We were sitting on it
for months, trying to get it
as perfect as we could,” Julius
said.
Julius is noted as “Soca
royalty,” as he rapped on the
famous David Rudder / GB
song “The Future Belongs to
Me” when he was just a kid.
He was a solo artist, becoming
a frontline singer with
the big East Coast Caribbean
band Impack2, and his own
band 7IghQ (pronounced
‘Seven IQ’) before taking a
hiatus from the stage to do
vocal training. He jumped
back into Soca a couple of
years ago and since then
Julius has been hitting with
new music. “Good Morning
Trinidad”, another patriotic
song, is one of those 2018
releases and it’s still getting
attention. But while that song
laments the crime epidemic
in T&T, “What’s Your Name”
is a joyful, flirtatious party
song.
Julius was in Trinidad for
the funeral of his beloved
grandfather, Joel Vincent,
who helped raise him in
Sea Lots, Port of Spain. “He
always was an advocator for
us to do better, never wanted
to see us liming on the block,
always encouraging educating
yourself and pushing the
envelope.”
In the spirit of his grandfather,
Julius took the opportunity
to launch the new single
on T&T Radio Network
while he was home. “I already
planned to come in November
to release the song. Knowing
him and his personality
and what he stood for, he
would have wanted me to do
this even though it’s in the
midst of celebrating his life.
He would want me to do it, to
go out and do what you have
to do.”
Continued from Page 53
BAHAMAS FUNDRAISER