A CALL TO ACTION

Twenty-six years after the Spice and Company hit ‘Make Noise’ saw thousands of Barbadians and visitors partying through the streets of Barbados for the first ever Congaline Carnival on May 1 in 1994, frontman from the world-famous band, Alan Sheppard, has made new use of the song under the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following on from worldwide initiatives where members of the public applaud the brave workers fighting to protect citizens from their homes, Sheppard has now given birth to ‘Noise for the Frontline’.

During an official world premiere for the song yesterday in a Zoom meeting, Sheppard explained that he too has been affected by the virus and took the opportunity to do what he could to help inspire others.

“As an entertainer here on the circuit in Barbados, dealing mostly with the tourism that comes to Barbados, I was one of those people who became unemployed immediately. All the gigs were cancelled – one week, full house everywhere; next week, it’s all over. And so I have been in my home and I was thinking, what can I do to help?” he said.

The songwriter and producer revealed that he used tools at his disposal in his home, repurposed the song and wrote some new words into it in a bid to motivate people with a vibe everybody could clap to.

“I took the song and made the lyrics pertinent to today and it is a call to action for the people of the world to show appreciation, gratitude and give encouragement to the nurses and doctors and the ambulance paramedics, police, army, everyone that is out there facing the enemy of COVID-19 every day to save our lives. They go into places where they know it is. So it’s like walking straight up to the enemy. The one thing we can do is clap our hands and say thank you. That is what the song is about and that is why I did it – to raise awareness and the vibration of people around the world. Starting from here in Barbados, we can start the little spark that lights the flame throughout the world.”

The 3.20-minute video will be available to be shared on YouTube and all social media platforms and depicts flags of the world and images of frontline workers as Sheppard sings the new lyrics and makes noise in his home. Calling it a labour of love, he urged all Barbadians to give all those fighting to save our way of life the respect and appreciation they deserve. He also took the opportunity to salute the job being done by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and her government officials in the face of the pandemic.

“I would like to commend also the works of the Honourable Prime Minister Mia Mottley and the entire Government of Barbados in the handling of this unprecedented situation that we are faced with globally. I feel proud to be a Bajan today and I feel confident and happy knowing that she is in charge and I am very happy with the way things are being handled in Barbados and optimistic that we are going to see this through together and come out on the other side, thumbs up,” he said.

Going on to say that he too was feeling the pinch of being just over five weeks on lockdown, he noted that for the past six weeks he has been performing live from his home studio every Friday at 9 p.m. on his Facebook page – Alan Sheppard Pianoman. Calling it just another contribution to some levity, he encouraged Barbadians to tune into the free contribution. (MP)