Teino Evans, Staff Reporter
EARL
NOT LONG ago Owen Earl had no thoughts of becoming a gospel singer, and if someone had said to him six years ago that his life would have taken the path it is now on, his answer might not have been polite.
For Earl, his life-changing experience came when he was going through some domestic problems.
"I was going through a phase where me and my baby mother broke up and I was about to do things that I was not supposed to do, because mi guh fi chop 'er up, but I went to sleep that night and when I woke up I realised that all this was not worth it," Earl recalled.
In 1997 Earl received the Holy Spirit and this resulted in a literal life-changing experience.
"I was walking on the road one day, singing a song, and a lady heard me and said it sounded good, then asked me if I would like to sing for the Lord. She then invited me to a church in Papine, where I eventually started to sing on the church choir," he recalled.
From there Earl said he started writing songs, the first being Faith in Jesus.
DETERMINED
Earl was determined to deliver his message through his music and, as a result, was led to record his first song in 1998, entitled You Are So Sweet.
Earl had earlier met record producer Gifton Smith, who operates Exclusive Sound Studio. In mentioning the kind assistance that Gifton Smith offered, Earl said that Smith had helped in the production of the album, along with Pinky, Kim and Steve, who were responsible for backing vocals and arrangements.
After bursting on to the market with that single, Earl has been making music for six years, continuing to spread the positive messages of Christ through his songs.
His debut album Fiery Zeal was released in December last year and, according to Earl, he is looking to do a lot of promotions for his album.
"People have been asking for the album and t'ing, because they can't get it, because I had printed a limited amount for promotions mostly, so some record shops don't have it," Earl explained.
The album, which consists of 12 tracks, delivers messages of faith and determination to serve the Lord, regardless of the trials and tribulations encountered daily. Some of the more popular songs on the compilation include You Are So Sweet, Faith in Jesus, Fiery Zeal and Fruit of the Spirit.
OVERCOMER
Earl says he has overcome many obstacles and will continue to focus on his mission, which is to spread the word of his Lord and saviour, who gives him the strength to carry on his mission.
Despite Earl's plans of working tirelessly on the promotion of his new album, he says it is not so much the sales that he is determined to get, but expose persons to the positive messages that his songs have to offer.
"The most important thing for me is for people to get the message, seek the Lord and come to know the fullness and goodness of God for themselves. I want to see more people, men especially, come into the church and praise God. Earthly knowledge is different from godly knowledge. When you have the spiritual knowledge of God we know that we are not perfect, but we are led by faith and grace," he said.
Currently, Earl is preparing for a Caribbean tour that will see him performing at some leading gospel festivals in the Eastern Caribbean. This will also give him an opportunity to promote his album in places like Grenada, St. Lucia, Antigua, Barbados, St. Kitts and the Cayman Islands.
