Twenty-four-year-old spoken-word artiste Clarissa Carmen Williams left the audience mesmerized with her performance of Isolate, a piece which focuses on child abuse at the Baje To The World Semi-Finals, which was held on May 1stat Dover Hard Court, Christ Church.
Reflecting on her performance, the Baje To The World semi-finalist said she was pleased she was able to address such a sensitive topic and receive positive critique from the judges. In fact, Chief Judge Senator John King commended her for being able to emote the piece.
“I felt very proud of my performances in the Semi-finals of the show. With the first piece Isolation I came out of my box and performed with the most emotion I have ever performed with. I surprised myself. I had to learn to be able to emote and deliver with the message of the piece being the priority and forget about myself,” she said.
“When writing pieces that carry so much weight and are very delicate, the performance needs to do it justice, especially for any victims in the audience looking on. Although I had some technical issues in the second half with my piece The Wind Is A Woman, I soldiered on and completed the piece. All in all, I am very pleased with my performances in the semi-final round of the competition.”
For Carmen, as a spoken-word artiste in the competition, she did not have an easy path, as, unlike the vocalists, she had to write and rehearse her theme each week, which was indeed added pressure. However, she said that the experience allowed her to sharpen her creative skills and be able to write on demand.
“Having to write on demand every week and memorizing the pieces in a short space of time was a challenge for me throughout this competition. However, it is in that area that I grew the most. My writing has improved and my practices when writing and learning new pieces have improved a lot. I feel more prepared for writing and performing pieces on a short notice,” she said.
Carmen said that her experience in Baje To The World has been developmental and has led to her growth as an artiste.
“My experience in the competition has forced me to grow in ways that I did not think I needed to. The developmental workshops, the challenges, the constant writing and creating, the research, the deadlines, everything about Baje To The World has taught me a lot. Even in times of great stress and discomfort, I am grateful for the experience as I will get better if I continue to put my best foot forward and give of my best at all times,” she said.
But how was she able to write, practise and perform over the past seven weeks in a competitive environment?
Carmen said it was due to her excellent team and the support from her family, who continue to support her in her creative endeavours.
“Having a strong team is important. I had the pleasure of having Michelle Hinkson-Cox, Adrian Greene, Terencia Coward, Akeem Chandler-Prescod, La Shawna Griffith and Lisa Howell as my mentors. I also had the support of my family who came out to every performance and offered words of encouragement. I must also say that my mother Sandra Britton and my friend Nesha Archer were my biggest supporters and were there with me through the highs and the lows of the competition,” she said.
My friends and my sponsors also not only offered their services and products but also words of encouragement. I am extremely thankful to, Lavern by MR, Makeup Magnet, Nail Lyfe Spa Services, Heaven Scent by Jasmine, Crowned by Royalley, Stonedwithcupidphotography, ShawnDonMuzik and Write Right PR Services. I would also like to thank every presenter of the Baje To The World developmental workshops, the amazing teams that provided the stage and technical requirements as well as the persons who provided our refreshments. I would also like to thank the amazing contestants as well as they were all friendly and fun to engage with and encouraged and supported each other through this process although we were competitors,” she said.
What is next for Carmen?
Carmen will be recording all of her performances that were done in the Baje To The World Challenges and will be releasing them on her YouTube page and Instagram. She also returns to Cilantro every Thursday for Word Sound and Power where she performs with her two artistic sisters Metallic Words and Kattimoni.
“Every Thursday, I will be performing Word Sound Power at Cilantro which is a restaurant located on Trent’s Main Road, St James.” (Write Right PR Services)
Read our ePaper. Fast. Factual. Free.
Sign up and stay up to date with Barbados' FREE latest news.
Barbados Today firmly discourages any commentary or statements that are libelous, disruptive in nature or incites others to violate our Terms of Use. Any submissions made on our comment section, are solely the views of the individual and not Barbados Today.