New York (Billboard Publicity Wire) Guyanese soul singer Nhojj heads to the 4th Annual Barbados Music Awards on January 4, 2009 to perform his sensual ballad “Love.” The ceremony will be held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre in Barbados, and will be viewed globally via live web broadcast.

Nhojj will share the spotlight with Square One (Lifetime Achievement Award recipient), Regina Belle (International Lifetime Achievement Award recipient), and 111 nominees including Rihanna, T.I, and Krosfyah. The BMA’s honor the best in Caribbean and International Music, and attract recording industry leaders as well as visitors from around the world.

BMA producer Ronnie Morris invited Nhojj after hearing him sing “Love” at Guyana Fashion Weekend ’08 – a performance that brought explosive applause from the closing night’s audience. Attendees included the American Ambassador, GFW president Sonia Noel, BET host Abiola Abrams, and “Amen” sitcom actress Anna Maria Horsford. Walter Greene, host of the event and editor of the weekly New York Carib News, wrote “Nhojj is on the cusp of becoming a household name.”

At age 5 Nhojj began his musical journey singing choir hymns in his father’s small church in Guyana. Now he writes and records his own songs. Lyrics to “Love” are provocative–”I want to see you nude in the moonlight”–quite a jump from “The Lord’s Prayer,” one of his childhood favorites.

“It’s not so much of a jump,” Nhojj explains. “The nude body is a creation of God, a thing of beauty. I want my music to tap into that beauty. I want it to be positive and affirming–to be joyful.”

In recording “Love” for his new release “Soul Comfort,” Nhojj utilized the work of pianist Carl Evans (Stevie Wonder, Barry White) and percussionist Tommy Aros (Luis Miguel). “Love” is featured in the Indie film “Blueprint” which screened at over 30 International Film Festivals this year, including the Cannes Film Festival. A music video is in production with “Blueprint” director Kirk Shannon-Butts.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Nhojj. He slowly ventured into the music business only after graduating from New York University with a BA in Economics. “For a long time I didn’t believe I was good enough,” Nhojj explains. “I would always compare myself to others – fear is paralyzing.” He credits friends, family, and meditation for giving him courage to face his fears and begin writing and recording. Now with 4 CDs under his belt, and a live performance DVD filmed by Emmy nominated director Bill Cote, Nhojj feels ready to share his brand of Caribbean Soul with the world.

“Music for me is about connecting with the audience in a deep way,” Nhojj reflects, “when the mood is right and the spirits descend – we all feel the euphoria, its like fireworks – I’m really looking forward to this experience… to putting a smile on everyone’s face.”

A huge thank you to Carib News Entertainment editor Walter Greene for listening to my CD “Soul Comfort” and interviewing me for this article. Walter Greene invited me to Guyana Fashion Weekend 2008 which led to me performing at the 2009 Barbados Music Awards.

Nhojj Carib World News Article - Click to Read

Guyana Fashion Weekend 2008 was pretty amazing.   The designs were innovative and reflected the rich culture and heritage, and it felt really good to be back home - enjoying good food, weather, family and friends.    A big thank you for Walter Greene and Sonia Noel.

Nhojj performing at Guyana Fashion Weekend 08

Nhojj performing at Guyana Fashion Weekend 2008

I also want to say hi to some of my new friends BET host/Author Abiola Abrams, Film maker and Glamour Magazine Marketing Editor Kirk Shannon-Butts, Actor/model Hector Lincoln, TV Producer/Recording Artist Ronnie Morris, and Photographer/Model Nigel Wallace.  You can catch some of the pics of us having fun by following the links below:)

More Pictures
www.flickr.com/photos/nhojj/sets/72157608543572627/
www.flickr.com/photos/keepitlocal/sets/72157608170047142/
www.flickr.com/photos/abiolatv/sets/72157607840535095/