Sisserou Singers: Another “amazing” production (photos)

Sixth Form Sisserou Singers in action during “Voices’ presentation

The Sixth Form Sisserou Singers seemed to have lived up to the name of their fifteenth annual production by making their “Voices” heard at the Arawak House of Culture on Friday night

It was an entertaining and head bobbing concert by the twenty-strong group of singers and musicians which, based on audience reaction, could be described as a success.

“Voices” featured an array of hit songs both past and present. The audience was moved with a brilliant rendition of “Many Rains Ago (Oluwa) and kept entertained with the song “Wake Up” by local artist Nelly Stharre who appeared on stage with the choir. Other crowd favourites included “Conga Rhtym” and “Zombie Jamborie”

The group’s PRO Leandra Lander described the night as a “really amazing one” and explained that this production was a significant one since it was the group’s 18th birthday and its 15th production. She commended the new members of the group on a job well done and thanked “Aunty” Pearle Christian, the director of the group, for her “hard work and dedication to the choir and for allowing young people the opportunity to come together to sing and make a positive contribution to the development of Dominica.”

The harmonious voices of the SFSS came alive in the Caribbean Folk section arranged and scripted by Pearle Christian and titled “The Yellow Sensay.” The story was set in the community of Grand Bay and told a tale of love and tragedy. This story also evoked memories in the older members of the audience, of the 1963 Carnival fire. This segment was truly a crowd pleaser as the choir paid tribute to our local carnival calypsos such as “Mas in de Cemetery” and the infamous “Take me back”.

And the reaction of “Aunty” Pearle, the driving force behind the Sixth Form Sisserou Singers after the first of three consecutive nightly stagings of the production? – a generally good show, she says, because “the general mission to please the crowd was accomplished”

A regular feature of SFSS productions is the honoring of an individual who has significantly contributed to the development of music in Dominica. The recipient of this year’s award was Carmel Agar, a former singing teacher of the St. Martin School and Convent High School.

Another interesting feature of  “Voices” was the live webcast of the event, the first in a series of such web casts called the AFRICA LIVE!HD series and produced by African Image Media and the Black Chick Group and Media House.

The live webcast began with a Green Carpet Preshow which included interviews with some of the dignitaries and celebrities attending the concert.

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29 Comments

  1. true dominican
    July 10, 2012

    i LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE SISSERROU SINGERS. fANTASTIC. Trevor and the rest of the guys, you are the men of the group, the strong hold. Keep it up. Keep everybody glued together.

  2. Dominican
    July 9, 2012

    I know the amount of work Pearl devotes towards these performances,putting the music together, the endless rehersals, the outfits, it is just a lot of work but she is so passionate about what she dose. “It has to me done well” I can hear her saying Pearl I know you are not reading this but you are so loveed by me and my family we are all blessed to have you in our lives did not see the production but I know to expect the best from you. Job well done.And to the singers job well done. Dominicans in Florida would love to see the performance too.

  3. July 9, 2012

    Toronto is anxiously waiting as is the rest of the world for this world-class production to begin its world tour. Pearle Christian you are priceless gem.

  4. Dominican for Sure
    July 8, 2012

    Excellent production and such wonderful voices and talent. I sat in the audience and thought; this talent needs to be shared with the region, the world. I think the Ministry of Culture should seek ways of getting such talent out there, even start a regional competition as countries like St.Lucia is in that sort of thing. Only one request though….Can we please do a wardrobe make over? …Kinda fedup of seeing this red outfit…;)

  5. Niceness
    July 8, 2012

    Stunning show…….great voices

  6. tactical
    July 8, 2012

    SFSS – Never know them to disappoint; I did not go nor did I follow live BRAODCAST – but from experience having been to many of their recitals and shows I know they only give their best.

    Congratulations having turned 18 and on your 15th staged performance; to the people/Dominicans especially in the Disaspora forget about government make an investment into the youth pull together sponsor them and make it happen in North America , Europe where ever. We do it for the bands every Labor day etc lets do it for the youth – get them on Broadway, in Maddison Square Garden, to the Montreal Jazz Festival etc so that they get the exposure they truely deserve. Once again forget about Government – especially this one they have no real plan for that kind of tourism to be very frank- lets get together and do it for the youth.

  7. Cynthia
    July 8, 2012

    Is there anyone out there willing to invite Aunty Pearle and the Sisserou Singers to perform at the Grammy’s? This talent is bursting at the seams to get out of Dominica…Aunty Pearle let’s YouTube and get some hits. Fabulous job always. Flawless guys! Today, when most of what we hear is youth and violence,this is healing for the soul.

  8. fed
    July 8, 2012

    Professional! Amazing! Splendid! Fantastic! Just some words echoed as I left the show last evening.

  9. Robin
    July 8, 2012

    I love sisserou singers! This is true Dominican people right there. Poised and wonderful ladies. The guys aiightttt…lol I’m female, so I’m totally biased. But Ms Christian is a jewel and just a lady!

  10. Too shy
    July 7, 2012

    I enjoyed the performances. Wonderful work!

  11. Free Thinker
    July 7, 2012

    I have just returned from experiencing a superb performance………….CONGRATULATIONS!!

    They should take it outside of Dominica. I endorse their motto: Anything worth doing, it is worth doing well.

  12. God's child
    July 7, 2012

    great job sisserou singers. i enjoyed the concert. The voices were beautiful, the outfits were very impressive. All in all a great concert. Keep it this way and even better next year.

  13. July 7, 2012

    Ever since I entered the youth group in my village of Giraudel, I have always seen beauty and talent in our youth of Dominica.

    Giraudel youth is a clear example for me today, since our Village Jimp Ping band is now 60 years old–the men who are now involved started at a young age. They are now on the Internet through pictures of Dominica Weekly

    I know that they came from the young generation of their time, because two of those men are my uncles, one is my uncle in law, and the other one is our good friend. They received an honor after the last creole Festival in Dominica. I know about it from a news article on DNO. Alwin Bully is also a man from Giraudel.

    I wish that we in Dominica would look at the positive sides of things more often, perhaps we would come to understand that it is not just government and their ways of politics that build us and our country; but it is the gifts that God has blessed us with to work together for the benefit of all–and to give Him the glory.

    As I look at these beatiful young people in performance, I see the beauty of Love in its functions of Life, which is God Primary blessings to us. But we do not appreciate our gifts–especially when that gift is not our own. Jealousy and the love of money is the reason for that lack of appreciation.

    This beautiful talent demonstrated here should not remain in Dominica all the time. This talent was meant to go out into the world to show those who do not know love–its beauty, its harmony, and its charm. I cannot imagine a person in Canada, where I now live, seeing that kind of talent and not be thrilled by it. That is where our government must come in play, by putting their money where their mouth is.

    A lot of revenue can be accumulated, if we all could learn to work hand in hand. All of this talk about tourism, where we always have the authorities of that sector in the spotlight–what good is that?

    Why not advertise talent like what we are seeing here–that is what people want when they leave their country to visit another country, for example. But how can they know we have it if we do not use money to invest, through advertisement.

    I would never see that demonstration if I did not search on DNO. And yet I am only seeing it because I am from Dominica–so there is where my intetest is.

    However, there is a mass number of people in the world, who do not know anything about Dominica, because we do not put her on display, well enough for the world to see.

    Anyway young men and women of Dominica, I will continue to be proud of you, especially that you are the generation of the younger ones who are right after me. In other words I am older than you all but I am not that old–especially not in my mind.

    Continue to accept God’s gift and make sure that you are doing those gifts to give Him the Glory. You are sure to have His rewards of Love and more Love. Blessings!

  14. Two Sides
    July 7, 2012

    It’s time for a performance in the BIG APPLE NYC

    • CDOA
      July 9, 2012

      Dont forget Toronto…we are anxiously waiting

  15. Bush Doctor
    July 7, 2012

    BRILLIANTLY OUTSTANDING !

    Despite the few technical internet glitches at the beginning of the performance the overall production of “Voices” was nothing short of superb!

    Bordering on folk opera Dominican style, the chorale connected with a nostalgic intimacy with the internet public and most definitely with the live audience. Conceived and directed by our current “Diva of Culture” Ms Pearle Christian, it was a masterful piece of Dominican culture captured in local music on stage. Our most honourable, the late H.L. Christian must be proud looking at Pearle’s undertakings as I am sure he does with his entire family. But let not Pearle fall in the shadow of her father’s greatness. She has shown us year after magnificent year that she can stand tall on her own accomplishments. Congratulations also to the singers. As we say in theatre, it takes more than one individual to make a production great. The Sixth Form Sisserou Singers were brilliantly outstanding!

    • July 7, 2012

      @Bush Doctor

      Thank you for telling me.

      I am familiar with the Sisserou Entertainment Group, but I left Dominica a long time ago. In my younger days in Toronto, Life was a rush adjusting to a big City–and so I lost touch of our Dominica.

      Thanks for technology and the ability to be part of it, I am back and learning to stay in touch with our Dominica–I have no intentions of loosing her again. But most of all thanks to God for DNO

      I feel proud to see and read about our young people there. May God always bless them.

  16. Roger Burnett
    July 7, 2012

    If the Sisserou Singers were to make a city-by-city world tour, it would do more for the image of Dominica and for our tourist industry, than all the other initiatives put together. They make me proud to be an “adopted” Dominican.

    • July 7, 2012

      @Roger Burnett

      If you look at my comment above you will see that your sentiment is the same one as mine, with the same idea and the same commendation.

      It is just that I went into deeper explanation, because I would like those Dominicans in authority to read and take my message into consideration.

      And so, one of your thumbs up is mine. Unfortunately I cannot give you 10–but you deserve it here.

    • suwie
      July 8, 2012

      True indeed. I think Dominicans would welcome the move to give the group at least 75% of the marketing money given to the DDA which they waste on useless trips touring the world.

  17. Grotesque
    July 7, 2012

    Thanks DNO. However I think the picture resolution could be much better, I think the distance Vs the zoom interefered with the pict quality. So next time zoom from a closer distance or use a higher resolution Camera. (Just Saying :) )

    • July 7, 2012

      Did you not watch those pictures on pic-lens as was sugested? I watched them on full screen–what is the trouble you had viewing them if you did so on full screen? It is just like watching a movie. Just wondering!

  18. Allan
    July 7, 2012

    job well done guys keep up the good singing!

  19. colorblind
    July 7, 2012

    Another excellent musical production by the amazing Pearle Christian and her group of talented young singers. We need to see more quality productions like that more often in Dominica. If you missed it last night, make sure you go this evening. Sisserou Singers will also be in Portsmouth tomorrow Sunday.

    • July 7, 2012

      @ Colorblind

      I wish you were saying Sisserou will also be in Toronto tomorrow, Sunday. Hehehehehehehehe!

      Do you know if they travel outside of the West Indies to perform? Because I really believe that they have the talent and the colour that would attract large crowds in Cities like Toronto and other large cities of the world. We just need to trust God’s work in our lives with an open mind

      And that is how they are able to develop into an international Entertainment Group, they have what it takes to make it, all they need is God’s strength–that would be God’s blessings to them, as long as they remain humble in their work.

  20. DDD
    July 7, 2012

    Very colourful.

  21. speaking logic
    July 7, 2012

    Congratulations Pearle and Sisserou Singers….may God continue to enlighten all of you….

  22. Not a herd follower
    July 7, 2012

    I wish I could attend that event. all the best to the Sisserous Singers

  23. Chicka
    July 7, 2012

    Indeed, it was a great show! Big up to the Sixth Form Sisserou Singers! They really make Dominica proud! :-D :-D

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