Josiah's joy singing for Jesus

At first, he was reluctant to be lead singer of his school parang band, but the move turned out to be a smart one as Josiah Abraham, 11, won best lead singer in this year’s Junior Parang Competition.

A standard five student at Vance River RC Primary School, La Brea, Abraham said when he first heard he would be the lead singer this year he was nervous. His first major competition was at the Sancouche Fourth Annual Pre and Primary Schools’ Parang Competition on November 9. His second was at the primary schools’ leg of the junior competition hosted by the National Parang Association of TT, on November 23, at St Augustine Secondary School.

“I was scared but when I went there and I started singing, the crowd started cheering and I was like, ‘If I didn’t sing they won’t be cheering. ‘A joy just suddenly filled my heart and I just started to sing out. I didn’t keep it in, I just sang out.”

He said he watched the lead singers of other bands and was sure he would not win. The band could not stay for the results but on their way home the parang group director, Clarine Stewart announced that the band won best lead singer and placed fourth.

“I was shocked. I was so shocked! Oh, and I also got it in Point Fortin at Sancouche.”

Abraham said he started singing parang with the school three years ago and he enjoys singing about Jesus Christ and being on stage. The band also performs at parang limes, at church events, and will next perform at the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts’ Christmas Village at Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain.

“It’s a good thing to bring joy to people and tell them about the birth of Jesus through song. If people don’t hear it they wouldn’t know about Jesus. I like to sing parang because I am spreading the message that Jesus is born. I don’t want them to forget Jesus because if everybody forgets Jesus, what will happen? So it’s a good thing to spread the word of Jesus through song.”

Abraham said when he was in standard one, he would sing in class. His teachers heard him, “put him to sing on a microphone” and he joined the school choir which sometimes sings at church.

He said Stewart heard him sing and asked him to join the parang group. He said he was shy and reluctant to sing with the band, but Stewart told him it would be okay because everyone would be singing together.

He agreed but it was only when he started to sing on stage that the fear went away. “I was with my parang group and I felt joy. I had to sing. I have a nice voice. I could not let the group down.”

Abraham listens to gospel music and thinks he might like to sing gospel one day. He also likes maths and Grammar and does well with craft. He said the parang group sang most of their songs in Spanish and teachers taught them how to pronounce the words and what some of the words meant so he would also like to learn more Spanish.

He added that he was doing well in his classes and his teachers said he could pass for any school he wanted. He hopes to pass for Vessigny Secondary School.