Through Junior Achievement and his production company Renaissance, J Errol Lewis is developing future leaders.
Now aged 62, J Errol Lewis is a much needed mentor to young people in T&T. The founder of Renaissance Productions and head of Junior Achievement T&T, Lewis has toured the world coaching and shaping the lives of young people, as well as being an accomplished singer who has shared the stage with some of the best, including Al Green.
Renaissance Productions, formed just over 30 years ago by J Errol Lewis, will celebrate a milestone anniversary in a big way next weekend (May 26-28) with a production billed as Thankful at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s.
Founder Lewis, who has been singing since the age of seven, was discovered and groomed by renowned mezzo soprano Horlitzia Seecheran at San Juan SDA School.
“I was fortunate enough when I passed Common Entrance, to enter San Juan Secondary School, to be under the guidance of the late Sylvia Robin,” said Lewis.”
The young Lewis was not initially attracted to singing. He said: “She (Sylvia Robin) forced me into it. To me singing was just a natural thing that everybody did, but Ms Robin drilled me all the time.
“ I think she saw potential in me as a singer, although she never said so. After a while singing became normal to me, second nature even. I began singing in church and realised it was a good conduit for me to express how I was feeling.”
“Gospel music is what I am committed to do, more so because of my love for God. I think God has given me a talent and the best use for it is to give back to him. I feel very fulfilled in what I do. I do not lack as I am doing something that I am comfortable in and doing something that gives excitement to do.
“The music has allowed me to do all kinds of things; go all over the world; and, meet all types of people. I am quite satisfied in doing what is right.”
Describing himself as “a very fortunate person,” Lewis said: “I get to do what I love. I work for Junior Achievement T&T, for over 45 years, and I tell people that I am one of the very few people in the world who is doing what God has created him to do.
“My job is developing people, young people so on a daily basis I am excited to go to work. I see young people as our future.
“They represent the next level of what this world will be like and we should not entangle them with the vagaries of what exists now but as the architects of what will exist in the future. Essentially what I do in every part of my life is develop people.”
Junior Achievement has been having a youth conference for young men and women for the past four years.
This event has been graced by some excellent mentors and motivators, two of them being Howard University president Professor Wayne Frederick and David Lammy, member of the UK parliament.
Lewis said: “Most of the time we talk to young people but we never give them the time to talk to us. When we do this conference it is all about what they have to say and we respond accordingly.”
The 2017 JA male conference is scheduled for November at Central Bank Auditorium in Port-of-Spain.
The girls conference will coincide with International Women’s Day in March. JA is also having the first Leadership Debate Series in September. This is the first time in the world that a JA chapter is having such an event.
Lewis continued: “In Renaissance we have young people who come to us raw and we, through the process of producing shows and other things, we cause them to develop and become better people and role models to society. I am doing the same thing Sylvia Robin did to me; I drill them.”
Lewis said: “Renaissance Productions was formed in the ’80s as I just wanted to add value to what was happening in the gospel arena and thought that this would be a unique method as it was not just a singing group. It is training and exposure.
“We have had a number of high points. In terms of performances we have performed extensively in T&T but we’ve also performed in Barbados, being the headline act at that country’s GospelFest. We were also the first Trinidad group to be recorded by the Barbados Tourism Authority for the GospelFest CD.
“We have also performed in Grenada, St Vincent, Antigua, Suriname and St Thomas. In every one of those markets we have been well received, attracting sold out audiences and being cultural ambassadors to T&T.
“There is a unique aspect to Renaissance as when we do our productions we donate the proceeds to charity, both locally and internationally. So, we’ve supported local charities in Haiti, India and Africa.
“There is now a church in India named the Renaissance Mandir which was paid for and built by us. I was actually invited there, to Karnatakar State, to cut the ribbon for its opening so I know that it exists.”
The Thankful production has been in its planning stages since June 2016.
Speaking about the show, Lewis said: “Whenever we pray we are always asking God for something but this show is one of the times we are not asking but telling God thanks for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us.” Apart from the Renaissance dancers and singers, Thankful will also feature Tobago’s Pastor Terry Baynes and Tricia Sobers.