Sekel McIntosh: Gives thanks for music, life as a QRC boy

Every year for Carnival, Sekel McIntosh looks forward to writing soca music with his father and performing at events.

In the last two years, he was able to capture the Junior Soca Monarch title in the primary schools category.

Therefore, it’s no surprise Sekel is disappointed there is no Carnival this year because of covid19.

However, while he may be disappointed, Sekel is constantly reminding himself to be grateful.

He has good health, a loving family and recently started classes at Queen’s Royal College (QRC), his dream school.

But Sekel doesn’t only want to remind himself to be thankful, he also wants to remind others.

So, he is now working on a new song called Give Thanks.

“The song is about giving thanks to God because while we are still pushing through the pandemic, we have to give thanks for life and all God has provided for us,” said Sekel, 11.

While the song is already written, it has not yet been produced given the cost to record in a studio.

Sekel is calling on anyone willing to make any contribution, including studio time, towards the song’s production.

He hopes, once resources are secured, to release the song in the coming months.

While he may normally use the months leading up to Carnival to perform and prepare for competition, Sekel is using the time this year as a “growing season.”

He is using this time to improve his performance techniques and create new music.

“I see this as a time for growth. With the extra time at home, I am exercising more and putting in more work into everything I do.”

He is calling on artistes, young and old, to also use this time to improve their music and performance skills. But he misses performing on stage and was excited to perform at the opening of the Arima Community Centre last November. He performed a tribute to the late Lord Kitchener (Aldwyn Roberts) and sang his own song, Level Up. He hopes to stage a virtual concert someday.

Earlier this month, Sekel teamed up with the Ministry of Education for its Be Smart for Term 2 Start covid19 awareness campaign. He created a video to remind people to do their part in stopping the spread of covid19 so students can return to schools physically some day.

While Sekel is pushing himself to "level up" creatively, he is also giving the same effort to his studies, since starting classes at QRC last September.

“Being in form one is another part of life that I am exploring, and it is very exciting to see all my hard work (in primary school) has paid off."

While he continues to adjust to online learning, Sekel looks forward to when schools reopen to in-person classes. He and his classmates did get to visit QRC and familiarise themselves with the school.

His favourite subject is English Literature because he loves reading and analysing poems which he finds similar to the structure of songs. He's also getting ideas on how to craft the lyrics of his own music.

“My favourite poem at the moment is the Flattered Flying Fish (by Emile Rieu) because it has a lot of alliterations and it is a very complex poem.”

Active in sports when he attended Arima Boys' Government Primary School, Sekel also plans to continue his passion for sports at QRC. Table tennis, football, swimming, water polo and basketball are the sporting activities he is interested in. Wanting to learn self-defence, he may also enroll in judo classes

“I am looking forward to elevating the school’s image in any way I can with everything I do.”

While covid19 presents challenges, Sekel is encouraging others to be positive.

“If you really want to accomplish something in your life, you should go for it and don’t ever feel discouraged.”

Fans can keep up with Sekel McIntosh by following him on Instagram @sekelmc