| About Joanne | I sing because I am happy, I sing because I am free echoes through the voice of this Trinidadian-Born singer, songwriter and musician. Her prayer is that the anointing will permeate throughout her recordings and bless (not impress) all who listen. Entertainment is not her goal, but that God be pleased and someone who hears experience Jesus in a greater way. Initially trained by her grand mother, Gladys Wilson, Joanne started singing at a very early age. Between ages 3-12 Joanne sang at shows organized by her grandmother. She sang at concerts, tea parties, weddings, funerals and basically any open door Gladys found she took her to sing. At the opening of the Four Roads Community Center, in the presence of the late Prime Minister Dr. Eric Williams Joanne sang, he commented that if she is just three years old, imagine what she would be doing at twenty-three, which turned out to be the year she represented Trinidad & Tobago in the first Caribbean Broadcasting Union song festival. 1974: International Year of the Child, Gladys purchased a guitar and about two months later formed a signing group called Friction. For five years they were the resident back-up group for the Calypso Revue, headed by the Late Lord Kitchener our Road March King. First Recording: 1978 Remake of a cover song - Let it be Me and I’m in Love Again. 1980: Second recording - Got to Have You. 1981: Friction won chorus group of the year among all the calypso tents. A calypso tent comprise of as many as twenty calypsoians grouped together to form a show. They did back up recordings for Kitchener, Stalin, Explainer, Shadow, Terror, Becket of St Vincent and many more. 1984: Represented Trinidad and Tobago in the 1st Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) Song Festival with her own composition Caribbean Flight. Received the Golden Award and placed second in Aruba. That same year:- That’s Why I Love You - written her father Tony Wilson of the British Chart Topping group, Hot Chocolate was released. A copy of that Disco 45 was presented to the then President Ellis Clarke by Joanne herself. 1986: Formed a duo called Jovonne and recorded another single, Man on the Moon and I’m In Love again. They performed at Sweetwaters, a Manhattan Restaurant. That cabaret was under the Musical Directorship of Danny “Bubbling Brown Sugar” Holgate. 1993: Joanne entered the Trinidad & Tobago Music Festival and sang with the Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive Teachers’ Choir. They placed first in their class (gospel) with the adjudicator commenting on her “excellent and stylish solo voice, which ‘bent’ notes in perfect idiom”. 1995: Joanne’s life took a turn when she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and personal saviour. She has written over 15 songs during this period. 1998: Successfully completed a Comprehensive Training Programme in Radio Announcing, Production and Programming and obtained a Certificate of Distinction from The Dave Elcock Infotainment Services Ltd / Announcer Tuition Division. Joanne Wilson-Edwards is also an author/composer and publisher (World Access Publishing) with The American Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) |
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