– Young artiste excited to perform in first 30-minute recital

T’SHANA Cort, who hails from Weldaad, West Coast Berbice, is an artiste who sang her way into the music arena many years ago. Based on her raw talent and determination to succeed, she began competing in calypso and jingle competitions, then progressed to duets and other songs, achieving notable placements. Now, This talented singer will be performing a junior recital for the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) Music Department on July 28, 2025, at the CPCE Convention Centre, Turkeyen, at 14:30hrs.

The 28-year-old is a teacher at the Bushlot Secondary School, also on the West Coast of Berbice, and is nearing the completion of her two-year course at the CPCE. Her performance is compulsory for her to graduate.

Cort told the Pepperpot Magazine that she will be performing for 30 minutes, showcasing what she learned from the two-year programme at the CPCE in a junior recital, which will be graded as part of the Associate Education course with an emphasis on music.

She added that the course was interesting since she entered it with no prior knowledge of music, so it was a big deal for her and she felt very fortunate to be a part of it.

Cort said she wanted to attend CPCE to do the Social Studies course, but ended up in the music programme due to her interest in music as a singer. She was shortlisted for it on the spot via an audition. The teacher reported that being a music major is more than singing for her—she gained a lot and will share it with her students.

Cort added that she is originally from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and attended Aurora Secondary School. She had no formal  training in music, so she feels elated about her accomplishments. She pointed out that the journey to success was not an easy one. Many times, she was troubled and wanted to give up, but she endured with the strong support of her mother, lecturers and the coordinator.

“My mother always told me, ‘T’Shana, you are not a quitter and you will not quit. Get up and go.’ And it was those words that motivated me somehow, and the strong support of mentors in the form of the lecturers and the coordinator that kept me focused,” she said.

As a teacher for three days a week, it is challenging for her to commute daily from her home village of Weldaad to Turkeyen, but she does it anyway for a good cause—success.

She teaches both Music and Social Studies to Form One and Grade 10 students at the Bushlot Secondary School.

Cort explained that, even though she is no stranger to the stage, this event is different because she is being graded, and based on her performance, she will secure grades to graduate—and she hopes to do well.

“The group of lecturers and the music coordinator at CPCE have an open-door policy. They will sit with you, listen, and find ways to make things better for you to cope. And, more importantly, they show they care. They are my spiritual family of supporters who have helped me a lot along the way. It is an amazing group that has held me up for the past two years at CPCE, and I am truly grateful for their assistance—it means a lot,” Cort said.

Cort’s On-Stage Journey
Since she was a girl, she always felt she had the talent to sing, and with the support of her family, the then 13-year-old set her eyes on stardom by entering the Cellink Plus kids-stage Competition, which she credits as the beginning of her singing career.

“Three years later,” she said, “I was tempted to enter the GTT Jingle and Song Competition. I would describe that competition as my best musical experience ever. In that competition, I was also a finalist; I placed seventh, but it did not deter me from the experience of learning.”

It was through this competition that she met music producer Birchmore Simon, who later asked if she was interested in participating in the Junior Calypso Competition.

It’s a day she’d always remember. “That day, I remember I smiled uncontrollably and jumped excessively. Then I sat and envisaged what my future would be like. And ever since then, I have been blossoming fairly well,” she said.

Over time, the musician has penned and recorded three songs: “Ansa Me” and “I Have Hope,” both of the calypso genre, and “Mama’s Wish,” which was recorded for a local Christmas album.

Winning the junior calypso crown gave her much hope, so much so that she declared 2016 as her Year of Victory. “For a period,” she said, “I thought I would never win anything in my life, but it all falls back to my team. I remember working day and night with my manager to get my vocals perfect.”

In 2016, after winning the Junior Calypso Monarch title and getting to compete against some of the best calypsonians in the Adult Calypso Monarch Competition, the then 19-year-old Cort had only just begun her musical aspirations and plans to go much further. She also competed in the same competition in 2017.