Anyone who knows Diana Chapman would think that above all she loves dancing. That’s because she is known among her fellow Lindeners as an outstanding dancer. Whenever she takes the stage her performances are electric – whether in a group or solo.
It was surprising to learn from this dynamic young woman that one day she hopes to become a professional singer. “I want to be a singer that dances a lot. I want to be known as the dancing singer some day,” she said.
Diana has been dancing from the first grade but her singing career started two years ago. Local playwright and producer Michael James is credited with recognizing her talent in singing; he wrote her first song.
Two years ago, Diana was in the company of a few peers while James was putting together a collection of folk songs. “I started singing as he was putting the folk songs together and he turned and said to me, ‘I didn’t know that you could sing this well’ and that was the beginning of public singing for me,” she recalled.
Diana took to the stage during the Carifesta X at the National Stadium, Providence singing the very folk songs and her song titled “One Step” written by James. At her debut she did “One Step” with the 2010-2011 Linden Town Week Queen Ruqayayah Boyer and it became her calling card as she has since sung it at several events across the country.
“One Step” also served as a motivation for her to pursue her dreams because its message is about not giving up one’s dream since “One Step” is all it takes to realize that dream. And she has been heeding the message.
Last year she took the bold step of entering the Junior Calypso Competition where she emerged the first runner-up. Eager to give it another try she entered again this year and despite not being confident about taking home the crown, she did. The competition this year was contested by 13 talented young singers, 6 of whom were Lindeners and close friends of Diana.
The Junior Calypso Monarch said that although she entered the competition hoping she would have won she was not very confident because of the quality of songs performed by the other contestants. But Diana was impressive from the moment she emerged from the dressing room perched on the shoulders of two classically dressed young men; members of the LICHAS Dance Group along with Diana. She was dressed in a short-pants ensemble of the colours of the Guyana flag, a gold overcoat which fell to mid-thigh, a black shimmery felt hat, two tiny flags of Guyana in her hands and gold stilettos on her feet. “NCN has a way of zooming in on my shoes for some reason or the other so that’s why I decided to have my friends take me to the stage on their shoulders because I didn’t want them to get soiled,” she said.
“Yeah Yeah! Go Diana” the audience cheered.
Diana was halfway through her calypso “Bring Back Brer Anancy”, written by Bonny Alves when like previous performers she was hit by the plague of the night; system failure of the Mingles Sound System. “No, No, shucks man,” she was heard saying but she was back with the same energy after a drink of water and the rectification of the power problem.
The song spoke of the good old days when you paid little or nothing for food, to ride the bus and other events. Her stage performance was just as good as the song, so it came as no surprise when she was announced the winner. In second place was last year’s winner Tennicia DeFreitas with “Can’t Take It No More and in third position Ernesta Nelson who did “E Too”.
Diana said her inspiration comes from hero singers including Beyonce, the late King of pop Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. According to the ambitious woman she never rehearses a stage performance whenever she has to sing but would spend at least one hour looking at videos of her heroes before leaving home.
One day she expects to become a professional singer performing internationally. “I don’t want to be performing only in the Caribbean but throughout the world and I have taken several steps towards realizing this dream.” She feels that as an international singer she would be in a position to reach out to the less fortunate. “It hurts me when I pass on the streets and see the destitute and cannot do anything to help.”
Currently Diana works as a clerk in the Personnel Department of the Regional Democratic Council and is pursuing studies in International Business Communication through IPED. In conjunction with her singing career she hopes to one day own a thriving business.
