BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AFTER spending two years behind bars before his acquittal on a murder charge, a young Sandy Pointer is sending a message in song to the Federation’s youths that prison is not the place for them to be.
According to Elroy ‘Stanny’ Williams, the time spent in prison has motivated him to pen his recent track - ‘A message from a man in jail’; a song that he strongly believes would take him to the Finals in this year’s National Calypso Monarch Competition.
Reminiscing on the day he spent on the Condemn Block for misbehaving, Williams said he took the opportunity to speak with some other prisoners in that most dreaded area of Her Majesty’s Prison.
Williams said they discussed their past and some of the things they did while on the outside.
“I then asked each of them what it would be if they had one wish. With the exception of one, whose answer surprised me, they all said freedom,” Williams said.
He went on to say that one condemned man said he wished for all children in the Federation to stay in school, learn their lessons and avoid all activities that would lead them to a life of crime. He also noted that the man said he felt as though he played a part in how St. Kitts is today, because he was the leader of a gang.
The condemned prisoner, Williams added, stated that he wants people to rearrange their lives and get away from crime, and that he does not want his children or grandchildren experience what he is currently going through.
Williams also noted that the condemned prisoner further stated that he would consider it a positive sacrifice by asking for this instead of freedom, because he does not want people to feel they could at all times beat a murder rap.
Williams said the first verse of the song speaks about the condemned prisoner while the second verse refers to Al Laplace, who was executed in 2008, and the final verse is about himself.
Although he has not been singing for some years, Williams is no stranger to calypso as he was a Semi-Finalist in the 2005 National Calypso Competition with a song called ‘Rita give me AIDS’.
Williams entered the calypso arena as a junior in 1995 and took the Sandy Point High School title. In the following year, he was awarded First Runner-up in the Talented Teen Junior Calypso Show.
Today (Nov. 4) is the official release of ‘A message from a man in jail’ and it can be heard on SKNVibes.
Elroy ‘Stanny’ Williams said he would make his entrance into the arena singing with the Proud Sounds Calypso Tent under the name – The Mighty Chemist. He also indicated that he would shortly be releasing another track titled ‘Domestic Silence’.
