– looking to turn on his own
In less than three months, Cleon Cadogan will give up the Cellink Jingle and Song Spotlight which he has been in since 2007. He is eager to give it all up, and has declared that his successor must be “better than I was”.
Cleon is yet to find commercial success or breakout here has a bona fide local star, a reality he joked about during a recent interview saying that people might be of the opinion that his “destiny went still”. The joke made light of his winning Cellink song, “Destiny Speaks”.
But though success eluded him, he found something else, contentment, for now at least. He still dreams big and is currently looking at reloading his ‘Destiny Speak’ album to “add something new”, but he has shifted focus to use his voice to raise money for charity. There are the regular calls for him to sing at formal events and pricey dinners, but charities are priorities.
Unlike past competition winners (two precisely), Cleon held the title for two years because there was no instalment last year owing to the Carifesta celebrations. He worked on pushing his album in the two years and was able to get airplay outside the country. Still, he thirsts after album sales and recognition here and abroad.
Cleon said that he is currently working with a team outside the country that is looking at his album and reviewing how it can be redone to achieve international appeal.
“It is not about changing much on the album, mostly the brand and the flavour,” he said.
The one video he recorded remains his only video, something he hopes to change soon. Cleon is working on recording another video, but he mentioned that he is writing and also looking for avenues in which he can collaborate with other singers.
He said the forefront was not the path chosen for him, instead he was in the background working with religious groups and non-governmental organizations. He stressed the need to give back and to be able to bring joy to someone who has not experienced it in a long time.
Recently he was involved in a charity event in Linden to raise money for a child in need of open heart surgery. He has appeared at the Radio Needy Children’s Fund dinner, and he also mentioned an upcoming concert at the St George’s Cathedral that he is a part of to raise money for the rehabilitation of the church.
The young singer revealed that he caters as a side job, adding that “people are not aware”. He said he is often involved in the actual preparation of the meals.
Cleon said he remained grounded after his win and that the celebrity which came with the spotlight did not change him in anyway.
“My feet are on the ground and that is because of the support I received at church, at home and from so many persons,” Cleon said.
Cleon praised the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) company for the support it has shown him over the past two years and “the unbelievable start” they gave him. He used the company’s slogan to say that they “are getting better” while pointing to this year’s competition and the opportunities it offers.
As for his winning package, $500,000 cash and $50,000 in prizes, he said that the cash was “wisely spent and invested”. He said he managed to have some fun as well.
He is involved in the competition this year, but since it was launched persons have been calling him constantly for advice and help. However, he disclosed that he is not in a position to offer individual coaching.
He praised Vision Sounds Studio and Kingdom Friends Studio for doing “wonderful things on my album”.
(ianaseales@yahoo.com)