
NIGELA St. Clair-Daniel is back. She’s scooped up another award for her music (after putting on a fiery performance at the Jazz and Arts Festival last year) and she’s gearing up for another exciting year.
‘Battles’, her latest single featuring Neesha Woodz, has been one of her most impactful songs to date.
But with Nigela, almost every song is a hit.
Her newest collaboration is a warning.
“God is fighting my battles,” she sings on the chorus, and, “He has overcome.”
The song was inspired by a dark time in her life.
After releasing ‘Under Di Blood’ in 2021, she told THE VOICE that she could have been seriously harmed.
“I went through a situation in Trinidad – there are so many incidents of violence [and] I felt had it not been for [God] something terrible could have occurred,” she said.
And though she came out unscathed, she was consumed with fear.
The lyrics for her latest single came in the wee hours of the morning during a time of intense warfare.
“I was just fed up [of what I was feeling and I began] to worship and the lyrics blurted out of my mouth,” she said, explaining how ‘Battles’ came about.
After contacting a friend “who would understand the assignment, it was smooth sailing from there,” she noted.
When she finally released the single, the response was overwhelming.
“People were saying the same thing [Neesha Woodz] was saying; the presence of the Lord was [there],” Nigela informed us.
“There is scriptural reference to everything I write,” she added.
“[The] scripture tells you the battle is not yours, it is the Lord’s, so the lyrics speak to the scripture and the Word of God concerning battles and how we ought to treat them. [With this song], you’re literally speaking the Word of God over your situation and taking charge,” she stated.
But why should one praise God in the middle of a storm?
Pointing to the story of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles Chapter 20, and the Israelites in Joshua Chapter 6, she said “Even their testimony of walking around the walls of Jericho [is telling].”
“Why would God use praise to bring down the walls of a city? [Because] there is power in praise. As I released the lyrics out of my mouth that morning I felt a breakthrough. I felt like… God had done a deliverance in me right there,” the singer said.
She never expected any accolades after releasing the single. When she found out she was nominated for two awards at the Antigua and Barbuda Global Music and Media Awards, she was stunned.
“They look at the Caribbean [and] international artistes as well. It’s a four-day event so the final night would have been the gospel awards and [people like] Cece Winans [and] Mercy Chinwo [were nominated]. It was a grand opportunity and to be able to have Saint Lucia’s name as part of that [was wonderful]. I didn’t look at it just as an opportunity for me but for our country. To have our name and flag in the middle of it meant a lot,” she told us.
“I was nominated [for] Gospel Soca of the Year and Collaboration of the Year. I have been nominated for different awards but this was my first global nomination so I was surprised [and] very humbled by it. What made it [even] more special to me is that… there’s a message behind it so it means… that somebody would have listened to this message and it would have meant so much to them or to a particular body that they thought it was at a particular standard to be recognized. It tells me I’m going in the right direction,” she said, adding that she believes in producing the best work possible.
“When my name was called [for Collaboration of the Year] it was a surreal moment… all I could have done was just give God all credit,” the singer stated.
She also got an opportunity to perform at the event.
2024 was a memorable year for Nigela. Performing at the Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival was something she could only dream of – and then it all changed.
Now, she’s looking forward to what’s ahead.
“For 2025, there’s more music coming up. I’m in the process of writing and working, just having conversations with some of my producers— some things are in studio already, so as God leads and directs me to release certain messages [I will],” she said.
When someone hears her name, “I just want them to think of somebody who loves people and Christ. I have a mission on this earth and as long as God allows me to fulfill this mission I am going to do it. I am also somebody who loves to encourage and mentor others. I just love to see people fulfil their purpose in [Jesus] so why not spill over what God has poured into your life?”
“I want to touch hearts for the Lord,” the singer added.
The music video for her latest song [featuring Neesha Woodz from Barbados] is presently on YouTube.
This gospel-soca anthem will get you up on your feet and will have you moving along to its infectious beat.
And most importantly, she wants her listeners to remember 2 Chronicles 20:17 which says [in part], “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you…”