Every would be superstar has to start somewhere-12-year-old Reshawn Goodridge, aka Lil Man, seemed to have started from birth."As a baby, he used to cry so loud! I mean, bawl down the place and people used to tell me that he's gonna be a singer. So said, so done," declared Reshawn's mother, Debra Lewis-Fraser.Reshawn is the winner of the Caribbean Airlines Kid's Karaoke Competition held at MovieTowne, last month. Performing The Jackson Five's I Want You Back, the soon-to-be teenager walked away with bragging rights, as well as two tickets to Orlando, Florida.Speaking to the T&T Guardian recently, Reshawn said when he first spotted the ad for the competition in the newspaper, he knew that he could not let the opportunity pass him by, as he "always wanted to go to the United States!""I was by my aunt when I saw it so I brought the page home to show my mom and I told her, 'I have to enter that!'"The pint-sized singer left the crowd in awe and the judges with little choice but to crown him the karaoke king.But while winning his dream trip may be his biggest achievement to date, Reshawn's no stranger when it comes to the stage or competition, for that matter.
At the tender age of five, he and his brother, Jhondell, entered the local We Beat Festival, where they placed third with a composition titled, Stop Crime Now, penned by their neighbour, Lesedi Felix.
Since then, Reshawn has entered several contests, including the 2011 National Youth Action Committee Children's Carnival Calypso Competition, where he copped the second prize, singing Protect The Environment, a song written by noted composer, Ronald Forde.
Big dreams
Crediting the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson and calypso giant, Sparrow, for giving him a desire to perform, Reshawn, who said he never allows his nerves to get the better of him on stage, already has big dreams for his future. Flashing a charming smile, he articulated, "I know that I want to be successful. I like music and sports so I was thinking about combining the two as a career. "I also want to have a big house and dogs one day." But for now, the Newtown Boys' RC School student is hoping that another, more immediate dream, comes true. "I want to pass for my brother's school, St Mary's College, when the Secondary Entrance Assessment Examination (SEA) results are out. That will be great!"
Stick to it
Reshawn's musical talents are evident, but his mother, who continues to support him in all his endeavours, deserves much credit. Stating the importance of playing an active role in the life of her son, Lewis-Fraser said she realised from early on that Reshawn had a passion for performing, and always encouraged him to go after his goals. "He can really sing and he will talk to anybody. If Rashawn gets a chance to talk to a vagrant, he'll talk to the vagrant. People just seem to love him anywhere he goes. Everybody calls him Lil Man." She added, "I think parents need to be more involved, There are some parents who don't even know what's going on with their own children." When he's not performing, going to school or doing home-work, Reshawn enjoys playing video games on the computer or "kicking a lil ball downstairs." Reshawn offered these words of wisdom to those hoping to follow his path."Try new things that you might like, it could be music or sport, but stick to it, you might go places."