Michele Henderson wins CARICOM song competition

Roseau, Thursday, May 29, 2014 -- Michele Henderson is the winner of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) song competition, and her winning entry "Celebrating CARICOM" is now the regional body's official anthem, SKNVibes.com has reported.

Henderson beat out 57 semi-finalists and ten finalists to emerge winner in the competition which was announced last year.

She says she screamed in disbelief when she first heard the news, and she is "happy and proud" for the accomplishment, the website stated.

"I want to thank CARICOM for the honour. I want to thank my husband (Roland Delsol Jr.) from the bottom of my heart for believing I could do it and for producing the song; Earlson Mathew for his arrangement; Michael Ferrol for his drumming skills and the St. Alphonsus Choir for their choral input, "she said.

According to the competition rules, the song should reflect a strong Caribbean cultural identity, have versatility and lend itself to be played by various instruments, have a strong Caribbean cultural flavour and rhythm and inspire a sense of regional pride and unity, the report said.

Henderson's first official performance of "Celebrating CARICOM, the official CARICOM song will be at the opening ceremony for the thirty-fifth Regional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government to be held Tuesday 1st July, 2014. There she will also be presented with her winning cheque of US$10,000.00, SKNVibes stated.