Luta takes on former school mate for carnival

For this year’s carnival, Vincentians are being advised that they need to “brush before they paint”.{{more}}

This advice is coming from Walter ‘Bree’ Briggs, through his new soca release, “Paint Brush”.

Briggs said he had been living on the streets of Kingstown for the past ten years and is now making a transition in his life, by elevating himself “from the streets to the studio”.

In December 2011, Briggs approached his long time friend and former school-mate, Rondy “Luta” Mc Intosh about a song he had composed, which he said he wanted Luta to sing for carnival.

However, according to Luta, after hearing the lyrics of the song, he decided that Briggs should record and sing the song himself.

Luta, one of SVG’s most energetic and charismatic performers, song writers and a member of the LIME Vincy Soca Dans, visited SEARCHLIGHT on Monday with Bree to share their story.

Luta explained that he knew Briggs from when they both attended the St. Martin’s Secondary School, but following several run-ins with the law, Bree spent ten years at Her Majesty’s Prisons.

Since his release over fifteen years ago, Bree disclosed that he has been residing under the gallery at Cambridge Building and made a living through short term employment with a few small businesses around the city.

According to Bree, a new opportunity has come his way and he is going to take advantage of it.

Luta said one day he was parked outside KFC when Briggs approached his vehicle and said, “Luta I have a song I want give to you”.

“Knowing him, I told him to sing the song let me hear.

“When the man sang that song, he blew me away. I couldn’t believe it,” Luta said.

“He told me the song was for me, because he is not a singer, but I said, no, you sing the song, because my mission is always to help other aspiring artistes and in Bree’s case, persons with good intentions,” he added.

Being a song writer for many years, an excited Luta said the song had melody, lyrics and proper coordination to become a “big hit”.

After several months had passed, the two kept in touch and three weeks ago, Luta said he approached Bree and asked if he was ready to go to the studio to record the song which is entitled, “Paint Brush”.

According to Bree, he didn’t hesitate to take up Luta’s offer and headed to the studio to record his first soca song.

He explained that he came up with the concept for the song during Christmas last December, a season when most painting is done.

“I was just thinking about painting, because it was coming to Christmas. But then I said to myself, you got to do something before you paint and in order for you to paint something, you have to brush it down.

“Paint and brush, so if you going to paint you have to brush first,” the jovial man said.

“This girl name Rhoda, she hire me to do some painting in her gallery. So ah paint it black and ah paint it white. We painted in the day time and painted all in de night time.

“But before we paint, we brush…”

Those were the first lines Bree recited, before using a guitar to create a melody and add the remaining verses for the song.

Bree, the father of one daughter who now resides in Barbados, revealed that he has never sung professionally before, but during his incarceration, he was the “motivator” for the prison concerts.

He said living on the streets, has been an up hill struggle but he has been always seeking avenues to elevate himself.

“I am grateful to Luta for giving me this opportunity and I am going to make the best of it”, he added.

Paint Brush was recorded and produced at the 4th Dimension Studios at Montrose.

Meanwhile, Luta says he is not expecting any gains from assisting his former school mate but is encouraging persons to show support to Bree for his efforts in trying to better himself.

Paint Brush will be released later this month according to Luta.