By Lakhram Bhagirat
Mothers have the uncanny ability to put their children above anything or anyone else. For a mother, her child is the centre of her universe and most of the times, she is willing to sacrifice her life so her child can live.
The journey to motherhood, alone, is one that is filled with sacrifices. An expectant mother, according to the older folks, has one foot in the grave, since there are numerous complications that can arise from childbirth.
It is those sacrifices and unconditional love that make mothers so special and worthy of every ounce of recognition. Recognising the fact that the sacrifices of mothers often go unnoticed caused Chris Nelson to add words to rhythm and honour them.
The young and upcoming Reggae singer recently released a song titled “World to Me” in which he speaks of the unappreciated sacrifices of a mother. His lyrics not only speak to what all mothers go through to raise their children but it also honours those struggles.
He sings:
I ask myself countless times
Where yuh get the energy from to cook
N clean and motivate meh brother and meh big sista dem?
You issa real strong woman! When meh ask har to give meh some space
To perform meh old teenage dutty ways
I couldn’t see duh light I could have paid the price
Your words were wise (Suh Meh guh suh then)
The 20-year-old says that he would be nothing without the strength of his mother and the ability to feed off that strength gives him the drive he needs to push for success.
“My latest single “World to Me” is a reflection of all the sacrifices mothers make to see their children succeed/happy. This song is dedicated to mothers and those who play the role of a mother. To all the strong mothers, Happy Mother’s Day, we love you,” he said.
Apart from being a musician, Nelson is currently a second-year Electrical Engineering student at the University of Guyana. He has always had a passion for music but particularly the Reggae genre. While music is his passion, he has a deep love for engineering and sports.
As a matter of fact, the young man was very active in the sporting arena during his high school days.
“Whilst attending Stewartville Secondary, I was more involved in athletics, more specifically, track and field, but when I completed CSEC, I wasn’t motivated to take my athletic ability to the next level. Music, however, was always a part of me. I could vividly remember most of my teachers warning me, on numerous occasions, to stop hitting on the desks and singing to my female classmates, but that singing also led me to represent my school at many music-based activities,” Nelson told the Sunday Times Magazine during an interview.
“One of the challenges I faced during my childhood was balancing my social and academic life. As I perfected the art, I found a way to balance those two. Being a young, independent artiste in Guyana poses a big challenge. There isn’t much you could gain out of it if you don’t have a strong support system. Despite the many challenges I faced, I am very grateful for the love and support I’ve been receiving from family, friends, and everyone who encourages me to keep pushing for greatness,” he added.
Nelson is still pretty new in the music business, but sees himself cementing his presence with the work he has done so far. One of his major goals is to continue on the journey he has started and even go on to release full albums along with producing some.
His ambition goes beyond production as he hopes to collaborate with internationally -recognised artists such as Mark Batson, Romain Virgo and Romeo Mystic.
“Most of my songs are based on what I went through and what I’ve seen in today’s society. My music surrounds positivity. People must be able to draw something from the song and try to better themselves in the process. Everyone wants a better tomorrow, so I am doing my part to make the world a better place. Different artistes may use different strategies in writing music. For me, I listen to a riddim that my engineer Vijay Deolall composes or one that I like online then I proceed to write. The minimum time taken to write a song is usually about 24 hours,” he said.
You can find Nelson’s music on YouTube @Chris Nelson, Instagram @chrisnelson_20, Facebook @chrisnelson, Audio Mack and Sound Cloud. You can also purchase his music on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon.
