JERMAINE Mc Bean was rapidly chalking up points on the local music charts a few years ago, 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, Mc Bean has returned to Guyana with a wealth of experience, which he hopes to share during his temporary sojourn.

Actually, we dug further and found out that he is here to make wedding plans for his impending union to his ‘dream girl’, whom he fondly calls Nichola.

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.
Grave financial constraints forced him to leave school early, and he 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 as he performed 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 to perform in their small bands, most times for free.
The love of music kept him holding on, performing for the joy of singing for little or sometimes no cash at all.

As his strength and determination grew, so too did the abuse of his ‘musical abilities. 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 pay.

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 migrated with friends to the Ancient County, Berbice, and there he met Troy, son of the popular Guyanese musician ‘Teaspoon’.
The two formed a duo after he performed at an audition, and soon Jermaine was filling the various nightclubs in Berbice with rich, vocal melodies. Word inevitably 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 able to come up with the sums he had promised to pay his singers; remigrated to the city some time later, and 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 on the island, he brought musical sizzle to many casinos, where he was greatly admired. He also sang alongside Trinidad’s Soca Monarch King, Shirwin Winchester.

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 Chinese 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.

Jermaine has now acquired his own band. He has already played at several locations in the city since he arrived in Guyana in late December. He is more than ready to pass on his knowledge to upcoming musicians.

By Alex Wayne