Young, Gifted and Talented

Further Info

This story was created at a workshop for young people from St Pauls and Easton who are researching their African heritage. The project is called “Adisa”, a word meaning “Each one to teach one” or “One who makes meanings clear”.

The workshop took place over 3 days at the Full Circle Family Learning Centre in St Pauls and was led by Dani Landau with support from Folake Shoga, Alan Cabey, Michaela Alfred-Kamara, Sylvia Vincent, Aikaterini Gegisian and Paddy Uglow, and Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives.

Transcript

My name is Jehenelle Blackwood. I am interested in singing and music. What’s your story?

My story is I started singing about three years ago, professionally. My family and my friends said to me I was a person who didn’t look I want to sing, but when I sing I always make them proud. I am very passionate about singing and, when I sing, I sing from the heart. My influences are Whintey Houston and Mariah Carey. Whitney Houston’s songs have a meaning, and Mariah Carey has been singing since she was fifteen. I am sixteen now, and she has influenced me to carry on.

I have wrote and recorded three of my own songs and I have featured in one of my friend’s. They were about real-life experiences.

[Singing…]

I’m singing out dear diary,
Tell him that I’m sorry.
I want this to go on,
But I can’t keep lying.
Look at what it’s cost me,
Now I see that we can’t be.
Heart, let him go now.
Let me fly free.

I want to make an album before I’m sixteen, and hope to carry on taking part in [???] and music weeks. That’s my story.

Credits

All media created by the story author, or permission obtained, used under copyright licence.