I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors for everything – Sister Carol
Published:Wednesday | February 3, 2021 | 12:23 AMCecelia Campbell-Livingston/Gleaner Writer
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Jamaica-born foundation artiste Carol East, more popularly known as Sister Carol, is known for her many cultural gems; however, what she takes fierce pride in embracing her black heritage. East, who was born and raised in Kingston, migrated in...
Jamaica-born foundation artiste Carol East, more popularly known as Sister Carol, is known for her many cultural gems; however, what she takes fierce pride in embracing her black heritage.
East, who was born and raised in Kingston, migrated in 1973 at the age of 14. The Mico Practising School past student said black history is the essence of her being.
For her, it is all she is and will ever be.
“I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors for everything. History plus ‘herstory’ means the world to me. Extremely important,” she shared with The Gleaner.
For East, the pride in black history, or appreciation for one’s self and culture, will never be lost on her. According to her, being blessed with children and grandchildren is important to transfer the legacy to them.
“The mindset is not to accept black history only for a month, but to activate it all throughout the months and years. We are the descendants of greatness as we’ve studied about Egypt, the pyramids, and the cradle of civilisation. The first skeleton of humans was found in Ethiopia, it is so vast it can never be lost,” East stated.
‘EDUTAINMENT’
When it comes on to music, East said it should be about ‘edutainment’, with the goal being to entertain as well as impart knowledge to fans, family and friends.
If there is one thing that annoys the usually good-natured artiste is the failure to accept the gift of melanin.
Zoning in on the message she imparts in her music, she said it is of utmost importance for her to continue to spread her brand of message.
“That is why I stuck it out for 40 years now. I don’t know if other artistes are missing the boat, the train or the plane, but I’m committed. I’m trying to ‘womanifest’ what is ordained for my part of this journey called life,” she notes.
“Get rid of anger, greed, lusting, attachment and ego. Love yourself and know that the inner you is the real you. It helps to bring about some awareness, but we can make it more dominant in our efforts to live it all the time as opposed to one month.”