As parishioners of St Theresa’s RC Church in Woodbrook continue raising funds for their Bell Tower Fund, a concert will be held at the church on De Verteuil Street on May 11, headlined by honey-voiced Natasha Babwah-Tim Kee.
As a young girl, Natasha Babwah’s principal would call on her to sing for the other children while they waited on their parents after school. Just about 15 years later, through a chance meeting with a record producer, Babwah became the unique voice on the runaway hit Jab Molassie, written especially for her by Chris Ulerie and featuring Machel Montano.
In an interview the classically trained Babwah said: “I don’t think a lot of people realise that it’s my voice on the track, those were very exciting times.
“I toured with Machel for approximately a year, but singing soca was just not my thing. I knew I wasn’t comfortable on the soca stage. Don’t get me wrong, for any 20 year-old that would be an exciting experience, but after serious thought I concluded singing soca wasn’t for me. My friends and family all thought I was crazy to walk away.”
Babwah, who later became Babwah-Tim Kee, is the holder of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech and Language Science with a Minor in Music pursued from the University of Miami and UWI. She instead turned her sights on raising her two lovely daughters, while training other young voices, teaching and preparing them for recitals and music festival. This she did while performing at galas, corporate gigs, weddings, funerals and her first love, at church. Babwah released her first Christmas single last Christmas titled One Small Child and she currently leads the Maria Regina Grade School Choir.
“I offer my gift back up to God…I sing in the St Theresa’s RC Choir every week and it’s like perfection for me. I really love my church and I also love to sing, so I thought why not combine the two and assist my parish,” said Babwah.
Like many of the Catholic churches around the country St Theresa’s RC, Woodbrook is in need of repairs, standing close to 90 years old.
Babwah said: “Our roof needed to be refurbished, however, I learnt that in order to restore the roof, the Bell Tower which we jokingly say is leaning more than the leaning Tower of Pisa, had first to be attended to.
“This is the tower that houses the bell that rings gloriously every Easter. I was compelled to do something so I reached out to my musical friends who immediately jumped at the opportunity to be part of the concert Faith, Hope and Love.”
Faith Hope and Love the Concert headlines Babwah-Tim Kee and will feature music of varying genres, including spiritual, classical, contemporary, musical theatre and Latin.
The cast includes celebrated tenor Wendell Constantine, Marvin Smith, David Huggins, former School’s Chutney Monarch and Music Festival 2018 winner Christian Mendez, three-time Guinness World Record Holder pianist Charles Brunner, pannists Ray Holman and Johann Chuckaree, Latin band Solo Para Ti, the Maria Regina Grade School Choir and the St Theresa’s RC Church choir.
Showtime for the May 11 concert is 8 pm and contributions towards the church’s Bell Tower Fund are invited and appreciated.
