By Candace Phillips
Michael Jackson was undisputedly the world’s greatest entertainer, Guyanese singer Courtney Noel emphatically said, as he spoke of a new single written and produced by him to honour the artistry of the late singer.
Courtney, in a recent interview with The Scene said that his latest project entitled “The Thriller Stands Alone” is one of the best songs he has written. However being a perfectionist of his craft, he has recorded a number of re-mixes of the original version. The single which was produced at Juke Box Records was intended to capture and reflect the style of Michael Jackson.
June 25 will mark the one-year death anniversary of the man affectionately known worldwide as the “King of Pop”. Courtney said with this in mind, he wanted to find a form of tribute for Michael and the song was the best way of achieving this purpose.
Courtney opined that Michael was definitely born to entertain and his impact cannot be underestimated, barring his personal struggles.
The production of the song, he said, was difficult and easy at the same time. While his diversity as an artiste allowed him to choose a genre easily he was surprised at the depth of Jackson’s talent when he did deeper research into his music.
He said as an artiste he and Michael share vocal similarities, though laughingly he said “I’m no Michael Jackson nor do I want to be!”
However, he added, “I’m just a vessel, my gift of music comes from God.” He said that he has never received training as a writer or singer so he knows it’s a gift that has come from above.
Courtney said he recently attended an ASCA Expo in the USA, where a number of high-profile producers, songwriters and singers were present. He was impressed at being able to meet music legend Quincy Jones. While there, he said he took the opportunity to distribute his CD and hopes to get some positive feedback.
His aim, on his return to the USA in a few days, is to engage a major marketing strategy for his disc which sees him acquiring an agent. While no local release date has been set as yet, he hopes to do this later in the year. He said that he gave his CD to the local radio station but is not sure whether his song has received any airtime.
Apart from his CD, Courtney was also engaged in writing a screenplay titled Similar Differences which traces the cultural setting from Guyana to New York. The racially charged film depicts aspects of Guyanese culture capturing past and present traditions.
While the screenplay is finished, he is now working to secure funding for its adaptation to film, thus ensuring that his dream becomes a reality.
He said that in the past he did produce a 30-minute screenplay entitled Macanaima is Watching which he said would have been his bargaining chip into the industry, however the film was misplaced by a producer and he has not had the opportunity to reshoot it.
While Courtney acknowledged that he was very disappointed about his wasted work, he is optimistic that he will bounce back. He added that he has never given up on his dream and through God he will be successful. “No one can keep me down,” he said. He plans to reshoot this film in the near future since he said it was a film that beautifully captured the way of life in Guyana.
Of his work featuring Guyana, he said that this is very important to him since he wants to showcase the best Guyana he knows and to move away from negative stereotyping usually associated with the country.
He is thankful for his musical gift from God which has allowed him an outlet to express his emotions and cope with setbacks in his life. As he says, “You do your best, God does the rest.”
Courtney concludes, “I’m just an ordinary man trying to do extraordinary things by the grace of God.”