We Are Tomorrow Foundation
Grammy winner on musical mission in Spanish Town
Published:Sunday | October 6, 2019 | 12:10 AMKimberley Small/Staff Reporter
With major projects, major drawbacks are par for the course. Regardless of the challenges that have so far hindered the We Are Tomorrow Foundation’s development in Jamaica, its founder, multi-Grammy Award winning musician and composer, Pablo Stennett, is pushing full steam ahead. He is determined to fulfil his dream of building a similar foundation for kids across Spanish Town, like the one that supports his own successful musical career.
Stennett is intently searching for the perfect location to create a safe space, full of instruments and state-of-the-art studio equipment for the use and benefit of under-served children in his hometown. Originally from Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Stennett has enjoyed a stellar career, touring globally with Ziggy Marley and working with icons such as Willie Nelson, Jimmy Cliff, Chaka Khan, Pink and Raphael Saadiq. Stennett is also a producer and writer who has partnered with film studios, theatre and media organisations, corporations and digital entertainment clients. He recently produced The Journey With Stripe, an EP for Red Stripe (Heineken Company) to celebrate their 100th anniversary.
He believes none of these accomplishments would have been possible without his opportunity to idly tickle the church piano’s ivory keys or pluck the guitar. “I wouldn’t have had the opportunity if it wasn’t for my dad being a minister. So there was a church, which had instruments and stuff like that. So, I got an opportunity to learn to play an instrument. It was a safe environment. That has changed my life, totally, and got me to where I am today. Right now, my goal is helping some kids to get to that level also,” he told The Sunday Gleaner.
Safe Space
The We Are Tomorrow Foundation is on a quest to find a physical space in Spanish Town to house a ‘priceless’ collection of musical equipment, for the benefit of the children. “We are diligently searching for the proper location to do this. We have every piece of equipment you can think of - state of the art studio. I can’t even tell you the value of this gift. We have shipped everything, and we have a collective group of people from Spanish Town who want to see this go through . We’re on the journey to get this project off the ground,” Stennett said.
He continued: “I’ve come across a lot of kids in my walks on this planet, and sometimes they just need that one little push for you to see their talents and true potential. [Spanish Town] is where I’m from, so that’s where I’d love to start, then move to the next area. This is my dream, to make sure this happens.”