If you have a good memory, the name René Winter may just ring a bell. She was in the spotlight last year when she was the runner-up behind Cleon Cadogan in the GT&T jingle and song competition. It was her powerful rendition of her song “I Give You My All”, which left an indelible impression on many and won her several fans.
Just over a year later, René, who hails from Linden, has recently released her first album called ‘Jesus Cares’.
The release contains 12 songs including the single “I Give You My All”. Kingdom Friends Production produced the album and she says the response has been good so far. The price of the album is $1,000.
According to her, the 12-track album comprises some slow gospel songs while the others have a more lively reggae beat. All but thee of the songs are her compositions. Michael James wrote the other three. On the CD, she performs the title song ‘Jesus Cares’ with local gospel star Eddie Neblett.
She describes the release of this CD as being the fulfillment of one of her ambitions. She says that it was always her goal to become a recording artiste ever since she started singing in her younger days. Having accomplished this, she strongly believes that her CD will prove to be a source of encouragement to many.
The talented songstress also told The Scene that she would be releasing a second album very soon. This release is a collaboration with well-known Trinidadian gospel singer Sherwin Gardner. She explained that she met the singer when she attended a conference in Barbados in 2004, where she was one of the performers. After discussions, they decided to team up and produce an album together. The following year, she travelled to Trinidad and worked with Gardner on the recording. The release of the album has taken longer than expected, and she is happy that the wait is almost over. She is yet to decide on a name for the album but promises that the release will be something special. Meanwhile, René continues to look ahead to a thriving musical career and this includes the release of more albums and even some videos. One of her projects may even involve her teaming up with her younger sister, Shaundell Antigua. She is also currently working on producing a video for her song ‘Jesus Cares’.
She also briefly reminisced on her experiences during last year’s jingle and song competition and described it as a very enlightening experience. She said that she met many nice people and got to see new places as well as to improve on her singing. Moreover, it brought her into the national spotlight. She was one of the artistes who sang at the gospel concert, which was part of the Carifesta festivities, where she performed two songs, including a duet with winner Cleon Cadogan. Cadogan has also recently released an album.
René says that she could not have reached so far without the support of many persons. In addition to God, she is very grateful for all the love and support she has received from her family, friends, manager Judy Todd as well as from GT&T. (alistair23@yahoo.com)
