EARLIER this month, Bonny Alves and Charmaine Blackman, together with their company SSignal Productions, were recognised, yet again, in the music industry, copping the Music Icon Award and Citation from the United Bridge Builders Mission and the Office of the Mayor of New York.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Dr. Keith Cummings (MD), Attorney-at-law, Dr. Dexter Todd and Ingrid Herod Van Sertima, while the International Heroes Award went to Shondell Williamson.

The International Community Service Award went to Irene Roberts and the International Humanitarian Award went to Sarah Clarke Fraser, Desna Hinds Wright, Samantha Browne, Shane Tull and Anitha Cochran.

“It’s always a good feeling of gratitude when your work and contributions are recognised and gives us a sense of feeling that we are not working in vain and it serves as an incentive to carry on,” Blackman shared in an interview with Buzz following the award.

She added: “We see the platform as worthy of support because they deal with very critical social issues, with domestic violence being at the forefront among others, like healthcare and community building.”

Blackman had reflected in a previous interview how she and Bonny were producing in the days when others weren’t producing anything, and how happy she was to be recognised for the hard work that they have been putting in.

Even now, after 33 years of being in the industry, Charmaine said she has not lost one bit of the energy and drive that are needed to succeed.

“Every year you learn different things. I think if I wake up one morning and am not able to sing anymore, I would really be depressed,” she said.

Relating how she’s been able to successfully deal with the negativity that came her way over the years, she said: “At first it bothered me. But I have not lost sleep over that. I have come to know my worth and who I am and it doesn’t really bother me anymore.”

Charmaine has sang with many of Guyana’s top bands the likes of the Majestics Live, The Cannon Balls Band, Pete’s Caribbean Fusion and the Yoruba Singers and her voice and features have been on radio and television commercials for some of the major companies in Guyana, the likes of Mings Products & Services Ltd, Courts (Guyana) Ltd, Wireless Connections, Guyana Lottery Company, Banks DIH Ltd, CARICOM, Demerara Distillers Ltd, Geddes Grant (Guyana) Ltd, UNESCO, Guyenterprise and Creative Advertising Agencies and The Mayor & Councillors of the City of Georgetown, just to name a few.