After Carnival, look out for ‘My Sweet Lord

By Kaelanne Jordan
mediarelations.camsel@catholictt.org

Local musician and music producer Curtis Marcellin sees Lent as an opportunity for self-examination, spiritual growth, and deepening of his relationship with God.

He told The Catholic News while most Christians engage in acts of penance by giving up something they like (sacrificing), fasting, raising one’s prayer level, and charitable deeds during this period, over the years he has found himself releasing new music praising the Lord during this season.

In 2022, Marcellin released ‘Here I am Lord’, a production “I am truly proud of,” he said. Co-written with Florencia Fuentes, the track which features Anna Assing on vocals, “has touched thousands of people in a most meaningful way,” he said.

Last year, following Marcellin’s involvement in Carnival 2023 in which he released Stage on Fire, performed in Panorama 2023 by Massy Trinidad All Stars, Marcellin released Do We on Ash Wednesday 2023.

“It still amazes me that amid the hectic and loud Carnival season, I get the inspiration to write these pieces which are focused on bringing calm and reflection. Somehow, I escape from it all and find that place … an internal zone to write these reflective pieces,” Marcellin said.

If he thought ‘Here I am Lord’ was a 10, “then ‘Do We’ was off the radar.”

“If we don’t stream that song every day on MTVN [Mount Television Network], the calls and texts start coming. People have revealed how they are touched by this song. I think the ultimate satisfaction came to me when a schoolteacher revealed how she used this song in her class for a talk and reflect session…playing the song, then analysing it line by line. Mission accomplished for me,” Marcellin said.

For Carnival 2024, Marcellin wrote and released a tribute song to some locally departed musical icons such as Denyse Plummer, Blaxx, and Black Stalin entitled ‘Angels of Music’.

Amid the Carnival season, he also produced, along with vocalist and writer Marilyn Hunte, a track entitled Heaven Needs Me More. Marcellin is also preparing to release his latest composition ‘My Sweet Lord’ featuring childhood friend and vocalist Ian Ashman as well as Hunte, on Ash Wednesday.

“The track is finished, and I am currently in video production,” he said.

He continued, “Someone asked me if I feel so guilty for celebrating during the Carnival season that I immediately repent and release a worship song on Ash Wednesday…. Hmmm… one may say it certainly appears so, I’m not sure…. but that has been my pattern over the last three years. God has given me a blessing with my musicianship, and I am using it as positively as I can,” Marcellin explained.

He emphasised although these songs were all released during the Lenten season, he believes they go “beyond the season” and are embraced throughout the year.

The Lenten atmosphere, he opined, may encourage the listener to be a bit more attentive during the period of reflection but “the results so far show these are songs for all seasons”.

Responding to the question of how he incorporates musical elements to evoke a sense of reflection, penance, and spiritual preparation in his Lenten compositions, Marcellin replied, “I’m into rhythm…the rhythm moves my music.”

He explained the creative process detailing, “once I go pass melody and lyrics, I spend time on my rhythms. Rhythms talk to you…and I play with these till I get the feel…the vibe, fitting for the song.”

“Listen to ‘Do We’. It’s not in your face, but subconsciously it’s the rhythm that’s hitting you…. attracting you, making you listen. This coupled with my crazy chord progressions have combined successfully in achieving those musical goals set out in the productions invoking the slipping into that zone by the listener,” Marcellin said.

He shared ‘Do We’ is frequently used at Mt St Benedict, whether it is Offertory, Communion or Meditation. The reception from this track in particular “is just so inspiring,” he said.

His most recent composition ‘Heaven needs me more’ was released February 2, 2024. At the time of this interview, three days since its release, the song has crossed 8000 views on YouTube.

According to Marcellin, it is already being labelled a Funeral March, “for obvious reasons”.

Commenting on how he sees his role as a local Catholic musician evolving in the context of creating music for liturgical seasons, Marcellin told The Catholic News from the onset, this is a responsibility that he took very seriously.

Together with musician/pannist Alfred Chow, and with the encouragement of Abbot John Pereira OSB of Mt St Benedict, they produced a suite of music for the celebration of the Roman Catholic Mass in 2021, which was approved by the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission.

These pieces include Lord Have Mercy, Gospel Acclamation pieces, Gloria, Hosanna, Eucharistic Acclamations pieces, Lamb of God, Amen, and Our Father; eleven pieces total.

Several choirs throughout the country are now using pieces from this suite of music in Mass celebrations. The suite of music has been labelled Music from The Mount and can be found on YouTube or www.musicfromthemount.weebly.com or www.curtismarcellin.com