Life music singer O'Neil Duncan is returning to the local music scene with a new album, dubbed I Know. The first single on the new album is dubbed What We Need is Love, which points almost directly to the album's theme.
Duncan, who is no stranger to the music business, started out when he formed a group called Accapella Flames while attending Cornwall College in the early 1990s. After moving to Cayman a few years ago to teach, he joined another group called Clarity, which went on to win the gospel song competition in the Cayman Islands in 2006. The group also had success with the release of an album in the same year. Duncan was the principal writer and arranger of eight of that album's 10 songs.
versatile artiste
Duncan has proven himself to be a versatile artiste and has shared the stage with the likes of Cece Winans, Acappella, FC Barnes and Kirk Franklyn, to name a few. Now, Duncan presents his first solo album. I Know, which is scheduled for release on October 1, is packed with a host of inspirational treats, such as the song from which the album takes its name, The Wind Blows and Go Forth.
According to Duncan, while he has been categorised as a gospel singer, he sees himself as someone who sings life music. "The first single off the album, which is called What We Need is Love, is a good listen and will show you that this music is not just for Christians but has a wider appeal. When I write a song, I am trying to reach the man, woman or child on the street who is having personal issues. I seek to be an inspiration to them, and when they listen to my songs they are supposed to feel hope and understand that someone understands the plight they are facing in their life," said Duncan.
Duncan said he chose What We Need is Love as the first single on the album because of the situation in Jamaica. "When you live in Cayman and you watch the news and read the papers, sometimes you want to cry when you see how our paradise is slowly being destroyed.
I know from experience that love can conquer all evil and that's why I chose this song to lead the album. What Jamaica really needs right now is love," said Duncan. The video for What We Need is Love was shot in Coronation Market last week by ace video director Asha of Fareye Films, and will be released locally and intentionally in a few weeks.
