SOME years ago, Jermaine McBean was rapidly chalking up points on the local music charts. Then he suddenly disappeared from circulation.Then word reached us that the talented singer/songwriter had somehow relocated to China, where he rapidly made a name for himself and country, Guyana.

After spreading his talent to many nightclubs, hotels and states in that land, McBean has returned to Guyana with a wealth of experience, which he hopes to share during his temporary stay here.

Actually, this publication dug further and found out that he is here to make wedding plans for his impending union with his ‘dream girl’, whose name he keeps a secret. Today, his talent is bringing musical satisfaction to fans in Linden, Berbice, Georgetown, Bartica and several villages along the Coastal Plain.
How it all happened…
Coming from a broken home, where there was never the much-needed love and guidance of a father, Jermaine began fending for himself at the early age of thirteen. He was forced to leave school early, due to grave financial constraints, and took refuge in homes that offered temporary solace and comfort.

All this time through his turmoil, he dreamed of utilizing his arresting vocal talents, and heard in his restless dreams the cheers of massive audiences under glitzy floodlights.

He slept in fields, braved the rain, and went hungry for days as he attempted to find food by doing odd jobs here and there.

Still in his early teens, the talented singer was spotted by musicians who would give him a song or two in their small bands, most times for free.

It was the love of music that kept him holding on, performing for the joy of singing for little or sometimes no cash at all.
His strength and determination grew, as well as his ‘musical abuse’. That, however, did not stop band owners from clamouring for his vocal abilities, which most times left audiences enthralled. All that, of course, was work he did for little or no reward.

Jermaine was slowly coming to grips with what was happening around him, and vowed in his mind to one day climb the ladder of fame he knew would eventually arrive with the degree of patience and tolerance he exercised.

He soon after migrated with friends to the Ancient County, Berbice, and there he met Troy, the son of the popular Guyanese musician, ‘Teaspoon’. The two formed a duo after he performed at an audition.

Soon, Jermaine was filling the various nightclubs in Berbice with rich, vocal melodies. The word spread around, and he was soon the most-sought-after singer in the County, igniting murderous and venomous stares from top Berbician singers like ‘Rat Head’, ‘Young Teaspoon’ and several others, who were always green with envy.

He soon left Troy’s band, since this bandleader never seemed to be able to come up with the sums he promised to pay to his singers, and Jermaine moved to the city.

Sometime later, he joined several celebrated bands, thus eventually becoming rated amongst some of Guyana’s better singers.

In 2005, he first flew to Trinidad, where his talent had him performing alongside elite entertainers like Roy Cape on Trinidad’s Petra Chin Road Show, and a few others.

While spending two years in the island, he brought musical sizzle to many casinos, where he was greatly admired. He also sang alongside Trinidad’s Soca Monarch, Shirwin Winchester.

That’s not all; he had a special talent, and soon learnt to play the keyboard all on his own, just following the urgings of his brilliant mind, fingers and brain.

Jermaine has spent eighteen months in China, and many have marvelled at his musical talent. He performs ballads of Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Mary J. Blige; and this, of course, brings him standing ovations at most of his performances.

In 2007, while in China, he entertained the beauties that contested the Miss Universe Pageant in that year at a function that was attended by Bill Gates and other elite special invitees.

That year, through his exploits, Guyanese singers Nichola and Nancy Osborne travelled to China and soon made their debut as ‘very entertaining singers’ in that state. Mc Bean was also a vibrant force at last year’s Carib Soca Monarch, where his reverberating and pulsating entry was loved by many countrywide.

Now Jermaine has acquired his own band. He has already played at several locations in the city since he arrived in Guyana in late December. Now basking in the popularity of his ongoing fame, Jermaine ‘Venom’ Mc Bean is doing all he can to take Guyana to the next level in the world of music and entertainment.

He is more than ready to pass on his knowledge to upcoming musicians