BARBADIAN GOSPEL ARTISTE Neesha Woodz launched her 15-track debut album, entitled I Need You, last weekend at the Collymore Rock Church of the Nazarene.
So overwhelming was the response to the event that there was only standing room. And the audience got their fill from dynamic performances by Woodz and her guest artistes Shane Forrester, Paula Hinds, Alison Norville-Forde, The Miraclettes, Bishop and Nayan.
Produced mainly by Andrew Thornhill of SteinHill Studios, I Need You features several genres, including reggae, dancehall, soca, zouk and R&B.
The 26-year-old who decided to focus on music full-time from last May said she began working on the compilation from June I.
Woodz said she was motivated by the numerous requests she had received from fans and the volume of material she had already written.
“I have 166 songs so it would be kind of selfish if I did not put what God has given me to good use,” she said during a recent interview.
Woodz said the album included messages for both Christians and non-Christians and sought to “edify, encourage and evangelize”.
“I named it I Need You because that is a common thread in the music.
“A lot of the songs talk about needing God and holding on to God. There are a lot of songs that are evangelistic in nature and there are also a lot of songs on there that are very encouraging,” she said, of the album dedicated to the memory of her mother.
Stating that she was “elated” to finally put out the record, Woodz said she would begin working on the second one later this year. (NB)
