Poorsah’s daughter following in his steps

By Nelson A. King
in New York

When Worine Providence migrated from the rural village of Troumaca in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 1991, she never dreamed that she would embark on a musical career as her dad, former Road March, Soca and Calypso King Cornelius “Poorsah” Williams. {{more}}
But 13 years later Providence, 21, has set the stage for a career, she hopes, will take her to the pinnacle of the music industry.
The petite five-footer, whose physique is similar to her dad’s, has just completed a Rhythm and Blues demo package with the Brooklyn-based, all-female, four-member hip hop and R & B group, 4 Ever More.
The group, formed four years ago, hopes to land a big recording contract that would catapult its music to the top of the charts.
But, though naturally gifted, Providence’s potentially spectacular ascension to stardom started gradually – just two years after migration.
After joining the Glee Club at her first elementary school in the US, P.S. 21 in Brooklyn, the “little girl with the golden voice”, who emulated Tina Turner and Patti LaBelle, could not restrain herself. She began singing and writing songs prolifically.
Her first song, “Tenderness”, which she wrote while in grade six, drew so much acclaim that her grandmother, Marcelle Providence – who, in her own right, is also a songbird being a member of the Chancel Choir at Fenimore United Methodist Church, Brooklyn – immediately enlisted her in piano lessons. (Deborah Providence-Quow, Worine’s mom, is Marcelle’s third of four children.)
Those classes – taught by occasional pianist at Fenimore, Vivienne Godfrey, for two successive years – and her father’s legacy, gave the younger Providence a greater commanding voice and a superior “ear” for music.
She then became a fixture at Sunday Morning Worship Service and other programmes at Fenimore, heading the Teen Choir and Youth Group, and leading the three-member inspirational group, Leaders of Today.
In the last three years, Providence has maintained a breath-taking schedule. She juggles full-time undergraduate studies at Long Island University – where she retains a 3.75 grade point average, majoring in media arts and communications – with work at Harlem Community Development Corporation and four-time weekly musical practice sessions. She plans to graduate next summer from LIU with her Bachelor’s.
In addition, she participates in church and non-church related activities, snatching the Queen title last summer at Fenimore Street United Methodist Church’s Annual Rainbow Cotillion by holding the audience in paroxysms with Celine Deon’s “Power of Love”.
She also recently moved an audience to tears with the same rendition at the Third Anniversary Reception for the church’s pastor, Rev. Dr. Maxine Nixon.
“I want to thank you for that song,” Rev. Nixon told her afterwards. “That song helps you to run into the arms of Jesus.”
In recent times, among others, Providence, a member of Fenimore’s Dance Ministry, has appeared on “Show Time” at the Apollo Theater; “30 Seconds to Fame” on Fox 5 T.V., rendering En Vogue’s “Don’t Let Go”; and opened an AIDS benefit concert in the city for platinum recording artist Kanya West.
She has recorded a song for an upcoming movie with “Treach”, a member of the rap group “Naughty By Nature”.
“Music runs through my veins,” she said in a recent interview. “It is literally a part of me. I inherited my love for music from my father. Once I began singing, I knew it was my true love.”
“Poorsah,” has copped the Road March title five times: “Go Right Up in Dey”, 1983; “Mouth In Me Moma”, 1998; and a hattrick starting with “Hairy Bank”, 2001, “Chook It Up” and “Sling Shot”.
Orande “Bomani” Charles’ “I Am Soca” stopped the beaver trick this year. Poorsah placed second with “La Jabless”.
Father and daughter hope one day to team up for a recording. But Providence plans to keep her feet “well planted on the ground”, stay close to Almighty God and keep reaching for the stars.
“I’m still very religious,” she said. “I’m always praying, always meditating, always looking to God, always keeping him at the head of my life for I know anything I do is through Him.”
She prays that, through continued marketing, greater doors will open in her relatively young career.
“I haven’t even begun to leave my mark in what I want to accomplish,” she said. “I believe I have a lot ahead of me. I just want you [public] to keep praying for me as I work toward my goals and aspirations.”