CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (June 8, 2009) -- It is not every day that children conspire to compel a parent do something they had no wish to do. But when Ophelia Smith’s children conspired, the result was sound of music that even she is proud of today.
The Manchester-based native of Nevis had always sung since she could remember. But it never occurred to her that her original music could have been shared with the rest world until her musically inclined children conspired to put some of it on a CD which they presented to her as her 66th birthday gift.
“I always sung my own songs,” said Smith in a recent interview while on a visit to Nevis. “Anytime I get a new song the first place I go is church. I never recorded, but in my mind I knew I wanted it done. I am not a frontline person. I am always at the back. They (children) did this without letting me know because if I knew it would come to this, I would not have gone that route.”
In September last year, as she celebrated her 66th birthday, a CD ‘Songs of Inspiration’ with 12 well arranged tracks was presented to her by Luke ‘Duke’ Smith of LCS Records. London-based Luke who is a successful recording artiste in Europe was in Nevis last month where he joined his parents in attending the annual four-day Holy Convocation at the Ebenezer United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic in Gingerland.
Ophelia, who was born in Cox Village and moved to Manchester in 1961, is the mother of six - all of whom are into music. “Who don’t play an instrument sings,” she said. “My husband, Vassel, sings with me on one of the songs on the CD. The girls, Rebekah, Annette, Patricia and Sophie do background singing and my other big son, Matthew, plays guitar, so they are all involved.”
One of the songs on the CD, ‘Have Faith in God’ was the quickest she has ever composed. She told how on a Friday night she had an inspiration and woke up with the song Saturday morning with the words and the tune and by Sunday evening she was able to sing it at a programme.
“ I do not really remember what inspired me because it was so long (time) but sometimes you are going through problems and things and don’t know what to do but to pray and go to sleep and by (the time) I wake up the next morning the Lord gives me something to encourage me,” she explained.
She was born and brought up in a Christian family that was truly musically inclined.. Her grandfather and great grandfather were musicians, drummers and fiddlers while some of her family members from both sides of the family played in string bands (guitars and banjo).
“I left in 1961 to go to England after having attended school in Gingerland,” she noted. “I used to sing in church – when I left here, I was on the senior choir of the Methodist Church in Gingerland. In school I used to sing as well. When I got to Manchester I continued to sing in the church that I was attending. Singing is just natural to me.”
The music on the CD, which is available in Nevis through the Ebenezer United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic in Gingerland, has a West Indian genre. According to this reluctant recording artiste, she tried to capture a bit of everything that would interest everybody. It has a special appeal to the youth and listening to it one might think it has been recorded by a youth.
Ophelia Smith is a member and an ordained missionary of the Bethel Apostolic in Manchester. As a highly active and valued member of her local church and community, her ministry extends beyond her title of an ordained missionary, but includes visiting the sick, being a prayer leader and an encourager to many across the country.
“The CD has been received very well in the UK,” said Ophelia. “I was on radio and television in Manchester. I was featured on a programme that promotes black welfare. They did an interview when we had a concert to launch the CD.”
