IT TAKES MORE than skill to become a music icon.

And Brent Williams, one of St Vincent and the Grenadines’ top soloists is willing to go the mile, having put in years of hard work to embark on the journey of building his own catalogue of music.

Brent’s heartbeat lies in the rhythm of the music, having grown up in a musical family.

When the 36-year-old visited SEARCHLIGHT recently, he said he started singing and playing music around the age of 15.

After years of covering popular gospel, love and reggae songs both as a solo act and with his band, Silc, the Mesopotamia resident said he was finally ready to venture out into making his own music.

“That has always been my dream, to really do more original music… from since around age 16,17 I’ve been writing. But now, I’m actually taking the time to focus on that a little more and getting it out there,” he said.

As a musician, Brent not only sings, but produces and already has quite a few new songs that can be heard across the various streaming platforms, including Spotify and YouTube.

Some of his latest original hits include ‘Quality Time’, a smooth reggae ballad; ‘Can’t Take Anymore’ which was mixed and mastered by Mark Cyrus, and ‘You Can Fly’.

While his musical abilities transcend all genres, the Visual Arts teacher told SEARCHLIGHT that his interest lies with making “positive music” not only to communicate and express himself creatively, but to also inspire others.

Having been a part of the local music scene for some time, Brent shared that in St Vincent and the Grenadines the music industry is lagging behind. And this is because of certain elements that are lacking, including, proper production and cost.

The musician is hoping that he will be able to collaborate with other talented artists locally to create impactful music that will help to enhance the music scene and generate a name for the country in all spheres.

“My dream is to not only push my music. It’s a way of reaching out to all the different artists across the island and giving them a push. It might not be the biggest thing at present, but hopefully down the road I’m seeing it can turn out where you have an abundance of artists making a living from their music and not just doing it as a hobby,” he said.

“We have a lot of talented people here…If I make it- which I believe that I’m going to- I will be reaching out to others to get them in that same position.”

Brent has shared his musical prowess with Vincentians and foreigners alike through various performances on the mainland, including at Steel Expressions and in the Grenadines as well.

Persons interested in listening to his music can find him on YouTube, Spotify and Facebook by typing in ‘Musicdiamond’.

He is also available for bookings to perform at events.