Let us personally introduce you to our West Indian guest that will be featured in this documentary.
It is not easy to coordinate so many talented veterans of Caribbean Gospel music on one film production, but we are proud that these individuals have chosen to share their testimonials of their journey. Without further delay, I introduce to you the cast.
Sherwin Gardner, a native of Trinidad & Tobago, comes from a lineage of evangelists, deeply rooted in the world of faith. His mother, Rev. Merle Gardner, is a pastor, his uncle, Kennedy Patterson, is a gospel artist, and his grandfather, Ivan Patterson, was a revered Bishop in the New Testament church. Sherwin’s journey into gospel music started at a young age, singing in churches at just five years old. His debut album, “Power in the Name,” was released when he was only 17, marking the beginning of an extraordinary musical odyssey.Pioneering Gospel with Caribbean Flair:In a time when gospel music with Caribbean instrumentation was often dismissed as secular due to its focus on rhythm over lyrics, Sherwin Gardner dared to challenge conventions. His unique fusion of reggae, soca, and dancehall rhythms with gospel messages started to change minds. His music became a catalyst, inspiring youth to transform their lives and embrace Christianity.
Trinidad-born gospel artiste Koen Duncan aka Kyiros was born on the 15th June 1983. At age 13 he started his musical journey with the saxophone and took to the instrument quickly. A couple years later, he joined a band called Broadway Boyz International, started writing songs and got the opportunity to put two of his songs on their debut album, Rhema. After being in the band for a few years, he transitioned into his solo career and signed to Sherwin Gardner’s label, Flow Masters. Koen did his first album with Flow Masters called Bring Down.
After some years with the label, he started doing his own productions and did his next two albums, Shine High and Rebel of a Different Nature. He also did an EP by the name of Trinity. Over his musical career, he has gained a National award, a Marlin award and four (4) UGI awards. Koen has been consistent for over 20 years and has gained a faithful following because of his unique style, his love for God and his down to earth personality. Now a producer and videographer, he looks forward to helping upcoming artistes with their ministry and plans to release new music in 2024.
Nekisha Cyrus, also known as ‘Neicy’, is a well-known Media Personality with over (10) years in the Entertainment & Arts industry working in the areas of Television, Radio & Journalism.
She is also the Owner of ‘Imperium31 Media’, a Media & Marketing Company which specializes in Social Media Consulting, Management & Training for Start Ups & Small Businesses.
Additionally, Neicy is a Motivational Speaker & Writer who loves God and aims to serve using her gifts and talents.
Thandiwe Muller-Mends is an Award Winning Gospel recording Artiste, Songwriter and Worship Leader who has been involved in music and the arts for more than twenty (20) years. Originally from Guyana, Thandiwe migrated to Trinidad & Tobago at a very early age and involvement in a children’s choir called the ‘Precious Voices’ Choir afforded her the opportunity to tour the United States and Canada in 1995 and 1996 respectively. She has also had the privilege of competing in a number of calypso and gospel music competitions, and has worked with gospel groups including Shekinah, Few Crew and God’s Design. She is also a lead worshipper at her local assembly and in May of 2023, Thandiwe won the award for “Breakout Artiste of the Year” at recently held Gospel Music Awards of Trinidad and Tobago (GMATT).
In the midst of the Pandemic, this wife and mother of two, worked full time; however, the lockdown did not stifle her passion for writing and recording music. Thandiwe officially launched her career as a songwriter and solo recording artiste in 2020. Her debut single entitled ‘Definition of Love’ featuring Nathanael premiered in September 2021, soon followed by ‘Never Ever Fail” in March 2022. Her newest single ‘Open Door’ was released in March 2023 and a fusion of a number of different genres. Thandiwe credits some of her earliest influences in gospel music as Angela Williams, Sean Daniel, Sherwin Gardener and the Broadway Boys, trailblazers in the gospel music industry who have helped make the Caribbean gospel music sound what it is today. Thandiwe, a name that means Beloved, continues to write and produce gospel music that is soulful and meaningful with a unique twist. Her music can be found on various platforms and has gained popularity in Trinidad and countries such as Nigeria, Tanzania and Canada. Thandiwe’s mission is to continue to represent Christ through positive and uplifting music, all for the glory of God.
Genisa St. Hillaire, more affectionately known as N I S A has a voice that has the ethereal ability to draw from gospel, jazz, indie, R&B and Caribbean influences. Author and vocal coach, she is the three time Female Gospel Artiste of the Year at the Gospel Music Awards of Trinidad & Tobago – GMATT for 2018, 2019 & 2023
Added to her recent accomplishments, she holds two Caribbean Gospel Music Marlin Awards for Most Outstanding Reggae Vocal Performance, and Outstanding Music Video in 2022 . Over the last 5 years she has steadily continued to grow her fan base and potent ministry on her social media platforms.
Reuel has grown professionally to become one of the most sought-after songwriters, background vocalist, vocal arranger and record engineers in the Caribbean.A strong, influential player in the sound of the Caribbean Gospel Music circuit, Reuel has worked on over 250 songs within the last decade, including several full albums with multiple artistes, many of whom are renowned locally and regionally. Some of these heavy hitters include Positive, Jaron Nurse, Jahzy, Marc Issacs, Sherwin Gardner, Neesha Woodz (Barbados), Papa San (Jamaica) and Samuel Medas (Guyana).
Outside of the Gospel genre, Reuel also worked alongside other popular artistes like the Chutney Soca Monarch GI, world renowned, Machel Montano and the King of Dancehall, Beenie Man (Jamaica).Having won several awards for his work from the Caribbean to Atlanta, Reuel has most recently been awarded the GMATT (Gospel Music Awards of Trinidad and Tobago) Resilience Award 2021 and is a two-time Marlin Award’s Producer of the Year winner.With an already diversified portfolio, he is currently working on his DPP merchandise line, a solo album infused with Caribbean, Afro, Dancehall and R&B music and still devotes time to build the online impact of his local church Poonah Open Bible Miracle Centre.
She moved to the island of Grand Bahama and began penning songs that eventually became the go-to songs of praise and worship in the country. The release of the single “Suddenly” in 2018 catapulted her on the local charts and her EP entitled “H.I.M”, released in 2019, was a clear indication that the sound of Bahamian Gospel Music was evolving. Cara followed up her EP with a full length album in 2020 entitled “Faith Move. Vol WON”. It was this album that introduced two huge gospel hits (He Reigns and More Than Enough ft. Oslien Jadorte). “He Reigns” became the praise and worship song that one could hear being chanted in many church services throughout the country and even globally.
In 2021, Cara became the first ever Female Gospel Artist of the Year according to the first Bahamas Gospel Music Awards. Cara wasted no time in releasing yet another album called “Road To Recovery”, which won the Album of The Year Award at the 2022 Bahamas Gospel Music Awards. This album also produced the 2022 Song of The Year (Recovery) and Cara was awarded the Female Artist of The Year again, as well as overall Gospel Artist of the Year.
In 2022, Cara released a double album, “Evidence: The Best of Cara T” and “Evidence 2: Things Unseen”.
It was her consistency and growth that allowed her to reach a major feat, as she once again in 2023, was awarded Female Artist of The Year. Cara is a nine (9) time BGMA winner, two (2) time Caribbean Gospel Music Marlin Award Winner, two (2) time Elevation Award winner and the 2021 Island Boy Records Gospel Music Award recipient. She was also noted as Cape Town South Africa’s Tribe of Praise Radio International Gospel Artist of the first quarter of 2023. Cara has shared platforms with the likes of Karen Clarke Sheard, Kim Burrell, Kurt Carr, Jekalyn Carr, Candy West, Rich Tolbert Jr, Kelontae Gavin, Le’Andria Johnson, Benita Jones and more…
Five years and five albums into her gospel music career, Cara is showing no signs of slowing down as she believes she is called to The Great Commission through music ministry and is committed to introducing the world to the sounds of the Bahamas through Christian music.
Besides singing, Bj’orn works behind the scenes producing and writing for many young upcoming artists. He believes that persons with the gift of music should be given a chance to utilize their talent to bless others. For every song he either writes or produces, he gives all the credit to God for using him as His instrument.
Jerry Dane Sellier, more popularly known in the entertainment world as Jadee, is a Multi Award winning once Soca Artiste turned Gospel Artiste that toured the globe for over 20 years.
He is no stranger to the Arts, Culture, and Ministry of music in Trinidad and Tobago. He has a heart for the youth, does motivational speaking in schools, his community and the prisons.
Hailing from Trinidad & Tobago, Brandon Best is an award-winning gospel recording artist, a devoted husband, and the father of a beautiful daughter. With five wins out of six nominations at this year’s GMATT Awards, including Album of the Year, Male Artiste of the Year, Song of the Year, Soca Song of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year, he’s made history as the first gospel artiste to receive five GMATT awards in Trinidad and Tobago. A gifted singer and songwriter, Brandon has shared the stage with renowned regional and international artists. His hits like “This Kinda Love”, “Grateful” and “Imela,” along with the history-making, groundbreaking two-day album launch for “Imela,” showcase his passion for ministry, youth, and country.But Brandon’s talents extend beyond music. He’s also a successful entrepreneur, founding his company NE1 Consultancy and holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and HR from the University of New Brunswick. As a 40Under40 influencer with the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service, he is dedicated to making a positive impact on the youth of Trinidad and Tobago.With 12 years of music ministry under his belt, Brandon has faced significant adversity, including the tragic loss of his mother in a car crash at age 15 and the subsequent suicide of his brother. Despite these hardships, he has always trusted in God to guide him through life’s difficult seasons and inspires others to do the same. Looking ahead, Brandon is eager to impact even more lives with his music and looks forward to the future with faith and anticipation.
Samuel Selkridge aka ‘Farenite’, born in the beautiful twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, has performed for thirteen years. Known for his versatility, it is impossible to box him in as he has
done Soca, Reggae, EDM, Hip Hop and Dancehall tracks. He has had the opportunity to minister in various nations including The USA, Panama, Guyana and performed on stages alongside Samuel Medas, Positive, Blessed Messenger and Jaron Nurse just to name a few.
He believes in music’s transforming and uplifting power and has chosen to boldly proclaim his faith through this medium to positively affect people’s lives. Respected for his writing, in particular his lyricism and biblical content, Farenite released his album titled ‘Transit’ in November 2019. He won album of the year at the Gospel Music Awards of Trinidad and Tobago 2020 and is a 2 time Caribbean Marlin Gospel Awardee winning Most Outstanding Artiste in 2022.
At age 35, the Arima native has charted a path of excellence through the world of music based on his personal convictions and passion to see youth live a better quality of life. This desire to inspire others has been the driving force of his music career since his 2009 debut with the R&B/Gospel single “Trust Me”, which immediately garnered attention around the Caribbean thanks to his potent and soulful rendition. He followed in that vein with another rousing hit, “Alive”, that earned him recognition via nominations for the Caribbean Gospel Marlin Awards. Since then, Mr. Jordan has been named among the “Top 20 Stars of Tomorrow” by the National Youth Action Committee, and took home two additional accolades in 2012 at the Trinidad and Tobago Gospel Awards for “Best Male Vocalist” and “Song of the Year”. Following these successes, Curtis released the albums “Heaven Speaks” (2015), “Rivers of Jordan” (2019) and his first book,“ Dare You To Live”.
As the manager of the Caribbean Gospel Music Tours for the past nine (9) years, he has successfully created a regional and international platform for T&T’s local artistes to showcase their craft while inspiring the masses.
As founder and manager of Curtis Jordan’s Coaching Academy, a premier arts and entertainment training academy that caters to training, mentoring and providing a friendly space for young creatives to flourish for the past ten (10) years, Curtis Jordan has become a brand and a household name in communities. He is respected by many fans and artists alike.
On November 6th 2020, Mr Jordan was appointed a Director on the Board of The Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad & Tobago. In November 2022 elected President, a massive move towards being a strategic voice of the Gospel music scene and ultimately to the creative industry in the Caribbean region.
Mr. Jordan is truly an ambassador, living to add value and integrity to the persons that he comes into contact with, ensuring that he leaves his mark on the world and a great legacy in the music industry.
He grew up in the Red Hills area with his mother and despite being ladened with many financial struggles, he defied the odds to be the success that he is today.
In 2010 he was selected as a JCDC Top 10 finalist with the song “I need a Word.” This gave him the drive that he needed to kick start his career in music. But, the musical world comes with many challenges and Godson Four Corners soon realize that. He took a brief hiatus and in 2013 he came back on the scene when he released his debut EP, “Four Corners.” The EP was very well received and opened many doors for him.
Then came Covid, that negatively impacted many people lives and Godson was one of those people. It wasn’t until 2022 that he decided to do some more music and moved on to release the track “Toaster.” Since then, he has been consistent with his musical offerings and has been working on quite a few shows.
There is no looking back for Godson Four Corners. He has his sight set on the prize and will continue to deliver quality music to his ever-growing fanbase. His latest promotional effort, is a track alongside Minister Treasure called, “God Dot It.”
A super talented & award winning producer, Artist and sound writer, Garth Sinnette aka “GPRO”, is always on the ball with his drive to lift the standard of music, with every single beat that he touches.
“GPRO” Represents “God’s Product, and is an integral part of the ACTION1 Production Family – The Power of TEAM. Garth has stunned the masses with his impeccable writing and producer creativity, as he has churned out musical hits for at least 70 local, regional and international gospel artistes through out the past years – namely – Blessed Messenger, Positive,Farenite, Nehilet Blackman, Jaron Nurse, Samuel Medas, Bjon Pierre, Nisa, Dennis Plumber, Michelle Sylvester, James Saunders, Tyler Johnson, Marc Isaacs, and MOBO award winning artist CalledOut Music just to name a few.
An artistically endowed & gifted personality, Garth’s Music has become a staple for all the major mainstream Gospel Radio Stations throughout the country and all major streaming platforms. Garth is also a cultural music ambassador and has represented Trinidad and Tobago in various musical programs across the globe, in June 2015, Garth was honored to play the National instrument of Trinidad and Tobago at Carnegie Hall, and created history being the second steel band to play at that venue.
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