Now that he has won the GT&T Jingle and Song Competition, Guyana’s Star Brandon Harding said Guyanese can expect “nuff things and positive vibes” from him.
In a one-on-one with The Scene, the 17-year-old said he was a cool and calm person before the competition and will always remain that way.
Brandon attended the Kumaka Primary School and New Silver City Secondary in Guyana, before migrating to St Lucia to further his education. In St Lucia he attended the Vieux Fort Technical Institute. However, but before moving to St Lucia he had represented Linden at the Junior Calypso Monarch and won it for about 6 years, so music has been a part of his life from an early age. He wrote only technical subjects at Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC), including Music for which he obtained a Grade 2.
“Without education one is nothing, so that is my top priority next to music and you also need it to make it in the music industry,” he said when asked about his educational commitments. He said he plans to further his studies in music and take the Guyana music industry by storm.
Brandon said he actually came back home to expand his musical horizons and was waiting for that ‘big break’, which landed in his hands when GT&T went to Linden for the auditions of its Jingle and Song Competition.
Inspiration for this young man came from family friend Oswald ‘Speedy’ Charles, who is now his manager, followed by his musical icon the late King of Pop Michael Jackson and his uncle Otis Harding who also played an instrumental role in his life.
“I was in Suriname visiting my dad when Speedy called me and told me to come back to audition for the jingle competition so I came back and did my thing,” he said.
With thousands of fans garnered throughout the competition he said that fame or as he describes it “upliftment” has not impacted his life in a very dramatic way. Rather, he sees it as a little change that is meant to have a great impact on others.
He said that while in St Lucia he recorded a few songs in an in-house recording studio and made some tracks but found it hard to promote himself three, since he was a foreign artiste. To make music a career, Brandon came home back to Guyana.
The young star, when asked about the local music industry, opined that talented persons are being suppressed by their contractual obligations.
“The artistes need to be put out more and we need to hear more from them. On the radio the most you hear is X2, Jory and Timeka Marshall but we need more like Tennicia De Freitas because she can really sing,” he added.
This rising star hopes to garner the support of all Guyanese as he sets foot into the music industry to change the outlook of the entire industry as he plans to elevate himself. He hopes to do collaborations with international, regional artistes local artistes.
Brandon said he plans to release his first 12-track album early March next year and hopes to include collaborations with fellow jingle contestants Poonam Singh, Calais Peterkin and Nickeshia Alexander among others.
He said when he entered the competition he was happy and thought of nothing else as he concentrated on his singing and performing. Throughout the competition he has been dubbed as a real performer as every time he got on stage he surprised the audience.
“I realized that the actual competition started when I sang Marvin Gaye’s ‘Sexual Healing,’” he said.
As the competition progressed he gained more and more fans and became popular with the ladies because of his voice and performances.
The Lindender said that life feels strange now that he has won the competition but he has the opportunity to make a change in the way Guyana is being perceived on the regional and international music stage.
The competition has made him more confident about himself and given him the opportunity to meet people who have impacted his life and also who came from different backgrounds.
To celebrate his success there is a victory party organized at the Linden Sports Complex for January 2, 2012 at 8 pm.
