Feeling The Love with Alexander Evans!
Is it episode 3 already?!
This week, we met with Alexander Evans, is a multifaceted musician from the nation of Belize. At 33, his music career is an inspiring example of hard work and holding on to one's vision. His music has won regional music competitions and he's copped awards for outstanding academic and musical achievements.
We'll be discussing his arrangement of Freetown Collective's 'Feel The Love' which features orchestral and traditional instruments and a motherload of Caribbean talent. We'll also get to know this fascinating gentleman as he talks about the power of music, the power of musicians, and creativity.
Catch the project here: https://bit.ly/3j6NAX3
Alexander Evans Music
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"He's an everythingist."
These were the apt words used to describe Alexander Evans. Mr Evans is a multifaceted musician from the nation of Belize. At 33, his music career is an inspiring example of hard work and holding on to one's vision. He graduated from the University of The West Indies with a first-class honours degree and copped two prestigious awards for academic excellence - the Newman Alexander Prize for Best Musical Arts Degree Student and the Beryl McBurnie Prize for Best All-round Creative and Festival Arts Student.
In addition to his academic prowess, Mr Evans shows an unyielding passion for the development of the arts through arranging, musical direction and composition. In 2019, he won the title of Best Musical Director at the Prime Minister's Best Village Trophy Competition with the North West Laventille Cultural Movement. Additionally, his music has won competitions outside of Trinidad & Tobago, including Guyana's National Panorama Competition and Belize's National Song Competition.
Feel The Love
Alexander is a self-proclaimed Freetown Collective fan. He says they are "mainstream without losing the essence of who they are and what their mission is." In his words, the song Feel The Love has an "upful kind of vibe," so it's no wonder he crafted an arrangement of this tune as part of a virtual collaborative project.
When the first pandemic lockdown orders were issued all over the world, Alexander reached out to his vast network of musician colleagues to get in on this project. His arrangement of Feel The Love was meant to "give a broad, encompassing feel to it," combining orchestral strings with contemporary instruments (guitar, bass, keyboards and drumset) and the iconic djembe drum and steel pan. This project was well received and made a huge impact on social media and the artists involved. According to Alexander, one Freetown member said it gave him a "renewed sense of energy" and that "the music sad what he intended it to say."
"We are way more powerful than we realize."
Alexander and Kemi discussed, at length, the sheer value and power we possess as Caribbean musicians. Music "sways human emotion" and musicians must be mindful of this. Historically, artists have always been the ones to question the actions and motives of their ruling government - calypso, as Alexander pointed out, is a splendid example of this. However, with this power to sway emotion and question those in charge comes the responsibility to do right by our audiences.
Alexander Evans
Composer/ Arranger/ Multi-Instrumentalist
Alexander Evans is a 33 year old Belizean Composer/Arranger, Music Educator, and multi-instrumentalist. He holds a BA in Musical Arts (Special) from UWI St. Augustine, where he earned First Class Honors, the Newman Alexander Award for the top Music student, and the Beryl McBurnie Award for most outstanding overall student. Alexander’s music has won 7 national competitions across 3 different countries, including Belize’s National Song Competition, Guyana’s National Panorama, and Trinidad & Tobago’s Prime Minister’s Best Village Trophy Competition. Evans was also the founding director of Pandemonium Steel Band in Belize City
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