The Jamaican singing male trio “Dem 3 Jamaican Tenors” will stage two performances in South Florida next weekend. The first will be held at the Wertheim Performing Arts Center and Concert Hall at the Florida International University Campus in South Miami, on Saturday (Dec. 13) and then on Sunday (Dec. 14) at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts (BCPA) in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Under the patronage of the Jamaica Consul General in Miami, Mrs. Sandra Griffiths, the musical celebration is expected to showcase Jamaican culture through a varied selection of songs, including traditional folklore as well as Italian love ballads, jazz numbers and Broadway standards.
The group includes three generations of Jamaican tenors including Steve Higgins, David Reid and Cecil Cooper, all with a lengthy and expansive music career.
Described as smooth and uplifting, the presentation is making a repeat performance at the Broward Center (BCPA) since its first to a sold out audience in the Fall of 2007.
Broward Center has been designated by the by the Broward City Commission as the area’s international cultural embassy, and has been championing Jamaican cultural events.
Already the BCPA forged an alliance with the Consulate General of Jamaica resulting in a range of successful performances, including a previous performance of Dem 3 Jamaican Tenors.
As the trio merged their creativity and talent to present this uniquely Jamaican cultural performance, each tenor comes with his own distinguished career.
Steve Higgins has made a name for himself, performing in several Jamaican productions and has served on a number of choirs including the Jamaican Folk Singers. He is currently the founder and choir director of the 100-voice South Florida Caribbean Chorale. Higgins is also the Caribbean Regional Manager for MoneyGram International.
Cecil Cooper currently is a soloist with the National Chorale of Jamaica and on other local choirs. A Jamaican Festival gold medallist, he has performed on several international stages in Europe and North America.
Besides singing, Cooper is also a professional artist and lecturer of fine arts at the Edna Manley School of the Visual and Performing Arts. His paintings have also been exhibited internationally.
With a long and distinguished career in Jamaican music, spanning some 50 years, David Reid has also been the recipient of several awards for his contribution to Jamaica’s national music development.
As early as age 11, Reid first performed in “Jim Russel’s Show Boat” at Ward Theatre, Kingston in the 1940’s. Since then, he has continued a musical career performing in pantomime, leading choral groups and Jamaica’s national Festival and government ceremonial events among others. He has also performed on international stages throughout the Caribbean and Europe.
He is currently the musical director of St. George’s Anglican Church in Kingston.
