WINNING THE ROAD
MARCH HAS
CHANGED ME, SAYS DEMPSTER
By Angela Martin-Hinds
Sunday Express
Section 2
January 23, 2000
Page 29
Sanell Dempster has changed.
Since winning the Road March title in 1999 and earning the prestigious
honour of being the second woman to do so, she is the first to admit that she
is not the same person.
"I
am the same person physically," Dempster admits, "but emotionally, I
have become more open."
"I
am no longer as introverted as I used to be.
I never used to talk to people, now I do. I never liked interviews and I would avoid them, but now that I
am the Road March winner, I have realised that dealing with the media goes with
the territory. Now I talk and I am
happy to say people listen; they give me more respect."
And
fellow performer Ronnie McIntosh agrees that not only has she changed in
attitude, but that her performance level is extremely high.
He
says: "Since winning the title, her performance level has increased
considerably. She also relates to the
audience more and is very much the professional."
For
Dempster, the change also includes learning to manage her time, which she quips
"is never enough."
"It's
been a whirlwind of tours and commitments since least year, and although it's
been very enjoyable, I had to learn how to adjust to a much tougher
schedule."
Her
voice which she considers her most vital resource, has also been working
overtime both in and out of the studio, and as a result, she is taking
precautions to keep it in rip-roaring form.
She
is quick to add: "I take special care of my voice by using African Sea
Coconut. I recommend it to all
singers. If I am to make it through
Carnival and the upcoming overseas tours, I have to take the necessary
precautions to ensure I am sounding right."
At
27, Dempster is mother to seven-year-old Jamol and wife to Terrence, whom she
has known and loved since age 18. She
makes it clear that she is not on a campaign trail for the Road Mach in 2000. "I have several songs for the season,
'Boyfriend Girlfriend' written by my husband and Tony Prescott, 'Woolez' by
Bill Thomas from Tobago, 'Nothing' by Terrence and I, 'High Five' and the 'Big
Showdown.'
She
continues: "I don't want to concentrate all my energies on the Road
March. People are only telling me 'you
have to defend your title.' But this is
not how I see it. I come out with my
thing and whatever happens, happens. I am just putting the material out there
and letting it fall where it may."
She
explains that she never expected 'River' to be the Road March. "We released the song and that is what
happened."
Dempster
who has been with Blue Ventures for the past three years, adds that the rewards
have not only been the boosting of her career, but also financial. Her family has been able to purchase a new
home.
"That
was a great experience, you know, being able to do that. To have that security. I just have to work harder now to keep
it."
She
is determined, she says, to continue to develop her career. "I don't want to be referred to as a
one-day wonder. People expect you to
fall short after such a big hit and sing rubbish the following year, but from
what I have turned out for 2000, I think I have passed the test. I am in control of what I do with my career. I refuse to let the business control
me. I am in control."
On
another note, Dempster says she wants to dispel all rumours that she had gained
weight. Laughingly, she points to her
hips and says: "Don't let those unflattering photos fool you. I was appalled when I saw myself in the Express
in that blue outfit. I looked huge.
"Nothing
could be further from the truth. The
camera adds pounds. I did not put on
weight. I am still slim. I eat
everything but I work it off on stage.
I do intend to join a gym through, to do some work on my abdominals…you
know you have to keep them strong," she adds with a conspiratorial wink.
Dempster,
who loves the colour red and experiments with orange, green and yellow, reveals
that she has a strange way of choosing her stage outfits. "I eat Skittles. I take them and I match them against my
skin. That's how I choose my
colours."
On
the rise of female frontline singers, Dempster says: "Some people have a
strange view. They say when you bring a
woman in a band, you're asking for trouble because personal relationships can
develop and with that also comes numerous problems. That's why many bandleaders prefer males just to avoid conflict.
"From
a spectator's point of view and a man's perspective, they want to see a female
up there on stage. All in all, it can
work, but it depends on the woman and the level of respect she commands."
And
she adds: "Sexiness is not about tight, revealing clothes, but about what
the woman projects. Also, when I am
performing, I might call a male audience member up on stage to dance with me. What I ensure though is that he wines with
me…not on me.”
Dempster gets into a mellow mood when mention is made of her significant other, Terrence, the man she credits for keeping her together:
“He’s
strong, he’s the love of my life. We
work together and love together. I know
he’s watching my back, always. But
don’t get me wrong, we have the same problems all couples have, but there is no
disputing the closeness, the togetherness that keeps us strong and connected as
a unit.”
She
admits, however, that when it comes to the relationship between herself and her
son, she is a pushover. “Normally, I am
stern. I brook no nonsense, but when it
comes to Jamol, I am not ashamed to admit my son walks all over me. I become soft,” she says with a smile.
For
the woman who went from wanting to be a flight attendant to performing on Teen
Talent and enjoying stints with Taxi, Traffik, Atlantik and Sound Revolution,
Dempster acknowledges; “I look back and I know I have come a long way. I hope that when I reach Calypso Rose’s age
that I will still be singing.”
“I
have achieved something great. God graced
my husband and me with the Road March title.
It’s a title that people are continuously fighting for, but for us it
just happened and for that I will be eternally grateful.”