ALBUM DESCRIPTION

Inspired by their legendary dad, the late Garfield Blackman also known as Ras Shorty I, each member of the Blackman clan seems to be branching out to develop their considerable musical talent. But 29-year-old Nehilet Blackman's "solo" project has an interesting twist. I'm so accustomed being a people person, that when it came time to release a solo album, I said that there's so much talent out there and I want to highlight it.

Last month at Faith Assembly in Five Rivers, Arouca, she launched Nehilet Blackman & D All Girls Band. The band now launch their debut album Represent, produced largely by Isaac Blackman and Sherwin Gardener, whose touch you can hear in the throbbing soca rhythms of Close To You. "Isaac has really supported me. He's like my mentor when it comes to band leadership, even though he's younger than I am", Blackman said. The all-female band concept came to Nehilet because of the sisterhood she experienced within her own close-knit clan. She plays the drums and sisters Marge and Avion play guitar and bass respectively. Their late sister April was a prolific songwriter whose haunting tune Heaven Above is featured on this album. The Blackmans are veteran performers; they've toured the world as The Love Circle, evangelising with Jamoo, a blend of soca and world music created by their father, who dubbed it "God's music". "We were all females playing music and singing", Blackman said, "and I really enjoyed that. I can be alone but I'm a people person. And as each family member drifted away to form new families and solo projects, this warm-hearted Blackman pulled together a bunch of friends to make music. Eventually she decided that she wanted to put together a band of girls: girls who needed an opportunity to show their talent and worship God while doing it. "There are so many all female bands internationally, but somehow in Trinidad it's not so", Blackman said passionately. "I started singing at the age of three; I wrote my first song at the age of six....I started an all girls band because I wanted to give these girls the opportunity to shine". The ten piece band, which includes her nieces Naila and Nihillet (named after her aunt) really rock on this album.

Soca, R&B and calypso-smooth melodies blended with strong jamoo undertones will keep you dancing to every song. Blackman's vocals lead on seven of the 14 tracks; the girls' Karma Ramsey, Naila and Nihillet Blackman, Annessa Sherine Aziz, Iantha Hicks and guests Ricia Archer and Marge get to show what they're made of on the other seven. Alannah White and Crystal Bascombe work the drums; Halima Gooding plays guitar and Rayanne Victor is on keyboard. All the girls sing and write songs.The writing was a collaborative effort, with everyone from Ramsey and Hicks to Isaac and Marge to Nehilet, April, Archer and Abbi Blackman pitching in. And when it came to jamming, the band uses all that girl-power to make listeners jump. "Each of them have their own style. Some of them tend toward soca, some of them R&B", Blackman said. She speaks about her girls fondly, like a proud mother. "I want to empower these young girls. So you get to hear a little bit of me and the world gets to hear their voices".

Judging by the response to the band at the concert last month, T&T seems more than ready for D All Girl Band. The concert also featured established female gospel ministers like Rev Angela Williams, Melissa "Precious" Brown, Vanessa Briggs, Winsie-Ann Cuffie and the UK's All or Nothing All Female Band. Koen Duncan and Birth Right, as well as the Love Circle were included in the night's performances. Blackman said: "Awesome! That's my expression of everything. Women in gospel have been working really hard, and they don't get highlighted. This concert was aimed at celebrating the work of the veteran and giving the young girls a start. I'm thankful for all the family support and for T&T's support. This is the country's first all female band and we've gotten real love".

The album's title track Represent is funky, fun-filled anthem, written to declare that women can represent Christ without compromising themselves or wearing skimpy clothing. "And that is what I stand for. I'm not ashamed to say I doing gospel; I put no water in my mouth to say that", Blackman said. And she has bigger goals than just singing. Blackman has launched WRYP (Woman Rise To Your Potential), a non-profit organization that raises money to empower women in depressed circumstances. "We're going to use music, dance, art, any sort of talent to motivate the community. We'll start in Trinidad and eventually go to the rest of the world". She has a soft spot in her heart for Kenyan women, who populate a lot of the churches in Kenya, she said. "I'm actually going to do a lot of volunteer work in Kenya. There is so much rape and violence, and a lot of women reach out to God for stability. I want to use our vibe to motivate them to do something more". It sounds like an ambitious plan, and it will take a strong woman to see it through. But Blackman gets her strength from her mom Claudette, a woman who raised 15 children. "Up to this day I always tell her,"  'Mommy I can't do what you did'. I definitely won't have as many children as she did", Blackman said with a laugh. "But I can do my part by sharing what God has given me".

Review by See all stories by Desiree McEachrane" href="http://guardian.co.tt/byline-authors/desiree-mceachrane">Desiree McEachrane

Please post your own review below...