He's a former star athlete from Montserrat
and an aspiring Soca artist/Calypsonian. My Montserrat's JMaCwell sits down with the very
talented Alvin "Black Jaguar" Sweeney.
This week...
On The White Wall
My Montserrat:
Welcome to the White Wall Black Jaguar, which part of the island are you from?
BJ:
I grew up in St Johns.
My Montserrat:
You're a former student of mine at MSS (Montserrat Secondary School
- Church Road
Campus). Which House were you in?
BJ:
I was in Orange
House.
My Montserrat:
You were very athletic, ran and played cricket which sport did you prefer?
BJ:
I actually liked both because I was good
at the two.
My Montserrat:
Let's talk a little cricket, were you a batsman or a bowler?
BJ:
I was a right-hand opening batsman. I
represented Montserrat on the youth team for a few years and was a member of
the team that won the Leewards
Islands youth tournament
twice.
My Montserrat:
Who were some of the other guys on that team with you?
BJ:
We had a pretty good team. Aurell Kirnon,
Lawrence O'Brien, Owen Roach and Devon Williams
were some of the members. A couple of guys from that team went on to make the West Indies youth team.
My Montserrat:
You were a multiple cross country winner at MSS. Which form were you in when
you won your first cross country.
BJ:
I was in third form when I got my first
win, a couple of years after you set the record.
My Montserrat:
You were one of two kids at the time who I thought had enormous potential as
middle distance runners. Guys with endurance who were quick enough to run with
the sprinters. The other was your cross-house rival Hartford Codrington. Which
track event was your favorite?
BJ:
My favorite was the 400 meters but in
college in California
I did more 800 races.
My Montserrat:
You represented Montserrat at the 1991 World Games in Tokyo
Japan.
What was that like?
BJ:
I actually ran the 400 meters there. It
was a rewarding experience in that it showed me the level at which I needed to
be at the time. The experience is one I will always cherish. I actually saw
great sprinters like Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson and watched as Mike Powell
broke the world record in the long jump. Memories I will treasure forever and
something I can share with my children.
My Montserrat:
You did have some success in College and I think you still have the national
records for both the 400 and 800 meters. Why do you think you didn't go further
in the sport?
BJ:
Like everything in life one never does
anything alone, thus support is always a good thing to have if one is to excel.
I did have some support along the way but it was not enough to take me over the
hump. I then had to make life-changing decisions in an effort to support myself
which took away from the time I could use to dedicate to track and field. In
the end track suffered but I will always love the sport because it took me
places.
My Montserrat:
Would better coaching early on in your career have made a difference?
BJ:
Absolutely. I got very little coaching
early on, staying motivated to train was really hard.
My Montserrat:
When did you decide to get into music?
BJ:
I always had a love of music and singing
even as a child. I started taking piano Lessons with Miss Lattie (Grandmother
of King Andy) when I was a teenager but never pursued it long enough to learn
it correctly. I happened into singing Soca by chance in 2007 when I was in the
studio with "DJ Go" fooling around on the mic and he was recording.
My Montserrat:
Do you consider yourself more of a Calypsonian or a Soca artist?
BJ:
I consider myself a Soca artist but I
love the artistry of Calypso.
My Montserrat:
Do you have a favorite Calypsonian/Soca artist?
BJ:
I have a few including Arrow,Tabu,
Scrunter, Rhadyo and David Rudder.
My Montserrat:
Do you write?
BJ:
Yes I write my own lyrics. I do get input
from the producers/arrangers I work with such as Prynze and DJ Go, input I
gladly welcome.
My Montserrat:
Have you released any albums as yet?
BJ:
No, but I am currently working on one, so
far I have just released singles.
My Montserrat:
Rumor has it that you are in the studio with the maestro, Eddie "Prynze" Duberry, is this true?>
BJ:
Yes that is true we're working on some
songs for my debut album due later this year.
My Montserrat:
Are you going to take part in the Calypso Monarch competition on Montserrat this year?
BJ:
Yes, my plans are geared towards that.
My Montserrat:
Is this going to be a one time thing or will you be a regular participant in
the show?
BJ:
I would like for it to become a regular
thing whether I do well this year or not.
My Montserrat:
Thanks for coming on the wall and best of luck with the music. We will feature
something from you on the next Wkn Jam. Come back and see us again when
you are ready to release the new album and call me up if you ever decide to get
back into the running business.
BJ:
It was great, thank you.
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When You See Me Gimme Some
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