Young jazz singer Leah Staci Lewis is preparing to host her first concert, which she hopes will bring her a true sense of accomplishment as a young person.
After almost 17 years of performing, her show, titled Jazz is Here, will take place at the Little Carib Theatre in Woodbrook on May 4.
Lewis got her start at age eight by participating in calypso competitions at St Theresa's RC Primary School in Woodbrook. This continued when she entered Bishop Anstey High School and became a member of the school's intermediate and senior choirs.
She said, however, that she was rarely chosen as a soloist. She attributed this to her shy nature, adding that over the years her confidence grew tremendously.
In an interview with the T&T Guardian, Lewis said: "Vocally, I've been classically trained by Pat Bishop, Gretta Taylor and June Nathaniel, so my voice has developed a great deal as well."
She spent her school years performing at school competitions and music festivals, including the International Eisteddfod Music Festival in Wales in 2005.
In 2006, Lewis became a member of the Lydian Singers before joining the Marionettes Chorale in 2009. The 25-year-old has also won the north zone contralto solo category of the T&T Biennial Music Festival.
In 2009, after performing at a concert hosted by Amandi Productions, a friend told Lewis that her voice was well-suited to jazz music and lent her a CD titled Jazz Divas: Gold.
The double-disc album featured Annie Ross, Helen Merrill, Morgana King, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, among others.
Lewis said she was immediately captivated by the style of the singers, particularly American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan.
"Somehow that style came naturally to me," she said.
"I also like that there are no rules. Jazz is a feeling and you sing what you feel.
"There is no right or wrong way. So I tend to lean towards the earlier styles of the genre–the classic jazz.
"My interest keeps growing because there is so much to learn."
Lewis has also drawn inspiration from Welsh singer Shirley Bassey. She said she has learned a lot from Bassey's confidence and sophistication onstage as well as the use of her hands and facial expressions to tell a story.
Lewis' bio describes her voice as rich, deep and soulful.
She told the T&T Guardian that she often tries not to look at the faces of audience members towards the beginning of her performances so as to avoid the "initial expression of confusion" upon hearing her tone of voice.
Surprisingly enough, she is also trained as a mezzo soprano which allows her to switch vocal register depending on the song.
"When I sing, I try to tell a story. I internalise the music and give it my own interpretation with my hands, face and body in addition to my voice.
"So one may find that I may sing very passionately or soulfully."
Lewis' history in modelling also contributes to her confident onstage presence.
At the age of 16, local designer Heather Jones introduced her to Richard Young of Mannequin Image Management. At 19, she became a runway model for Young's agency before stopping to focus on her studies at UWI St Augustine.
She is due to graduate later this year with a masters degree in public health.
Asked more about the upcoming concert, Lewis said she always wanted to plan "something of worth" that was not based solely on monetary gain or popularity.
She began planning the concert in April of last year and initially titled it Here's to Jazz–The Real Thing. She hoped the name would differentiate the music that she performed from what she found to be "loosely termed" as jazz music nowadays.
The concert will feature the authentic style of jazz from the 1930s to 1960s.
"It is a style that I enjoy and know that others long to hear. I expect the show to be successful, because I know that God is with me and my family as we take on this project together.
"I hope to bring happiness to people of all ages and to introduce the early jazz music to my generation."
The concert will include a performance by pannist and composer Johann Chuckaree as well as members of La Danse Caraibe with choreography by Heather Henderson Gordon.
There will also be poetry by Kemada Peters.
Tickets are available at Fabi Cosmetique on Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook, and the Little Carib Theatre box office from April 29.
Proceeds from the event go towards Lewis' university expenses and a donation will also be made to the Alzheimer's Association of T&T.
For more information on Lewis, call 770-9662 or 758-8594; or send e-mail to leahstacilewis@gmail.com. Some of the cover songs by Lewis can be heard at http://www. youtube.com/user/stacilee22
