Singer/songwriter John Antoine is set to release his newest track, “Streets”, which conveys a strong and powerful message against gang violence.
Antoine says “Streets” is dedicated to mothers and fathers who have lost children to gang violence. The song that lets them know that there’s nothing to win in being part of a gang: either you die or get imprisoned. The song also lets parents know that it’s not always their fault when children take the wrong road even when parents would have done their best to raise them the right way.”
“The song “Streets” was written between 2012 and 2013 and is based on events that were happening at the time,” Antoine said. “Of course, there was gang violence back then, but not as prevalent as it is today. Right now, things are much more explosive. The song sat there for many years, and, realizing how serious the times have become, we went back to the song, did some rearranging and decided to release it. I think the song has a message that the world needs to hear, especially our youth. We should never give up on our youth.”
The song was produced by Meriaha St. Louis and recorded in mid-2023. The music video was filmed soon after.
The release of “Streets” will see Antoine up the ante on a mission he’s been on for many years now: to take Saint Lucian reggae to the next level – not just regionally, but internationally.
“I want to create a consciousness in people’s minds and hearts,” he said. “I think of my music as good food that comes from good ingredients that are well marinated and seasoned and filled with nutrition. My ultimate goal is to feed the listener with positive and uplifting music that makes them think and causes them to enjoy themselves.”
Antoine, who has been in the music industry for over 20 years now, has performed at local hotels, including Sandals Halcyon, where he was Fitness Instructor in the Entertainment Department. He also worked at Rendezvous Hotel as an Entertainment Coordinator for many years. He has performed with local bands, including Transfix, with gigs at Babonneau Jazz, and Side Stage Jazz, and still performs at some of the top hotels in Saint Lucia. While he’s always dabbled with the acoustic guitar, he mainly plays the saxophone – soprano, alto and tenor.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Antoine released “Super Angels”, a track he’d written originally in 2013, but had some lyrics changed to pay tribute to front-line workers. Other tracks by Antoine include “Just Cry”, which he dedicates to persons faced with depression and contemplating suicide, and “Saint Lucia, Wake Up”.
Antoine grew up in Trou Rouge, Marchand, one of the communities in Castries, Saint Lucia’s capital city. He recalls being influenced from an early age by musical legends including Lucky Dube, Peter Tosh, Third World, Nitty Gritty, King Kong, Tenor Saw, Half Pit, Courtney Melody, Gregory Isaacs, Morgan Heritage, and Culture.
“They performed with a high level of passion, something I try to emulate when I perform,” Antoine stated. “However, people don’t want to hear another Lucky Dube. Lucky Dube has already established himself. Neither do they want to hear another Beres Hammond. They want to hear a new voice. So I’m not going to sound like any of those individuals; I have my own voice.”
Antoine admitted that music has had a tremendous and positive impact on his life, adding that his brand is “Positive Vibes, Positive Music”. While he listens to all genres of music, he leans more towards blues because, as he puts it, “blues comes from the soul.”
“When an artist can write a song that can change your way of thinking and sometimes literally bring tears to your eyes, it just shows you how powerful music is,” he explained. “Therefore, it’s very important that when an artist picks up a pen, he or she must understand that whatever they write can affect others either positively or negatively. I’m not here to bash any artist; however, I know the standard I want to portray. But I believe the world has enough artists singing negative and vulgar songs, so there’s no need for me to add to it. I believe there’s space for positive and uplifting lyrics in the music.”
“Streets” is now available on streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. The music video will also be screened on Hype TV (Channel 134, Flow). You can also find more of Antoine’s music on YouTube.
Following the release of “Streets”, Antoine plans to release follow-up tracks throughout 2024.