The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

SHEMA Poitier has gifted the world with a new song – one designed to lift the spirits of those who hear it and inspire them to spring into their life’s purpose. Her song is a personal testament to the fact that one’s dreams may be delayed, but they are never denied. With the new music release of “Catapult” on streaming platforms and on radio, Shema, better known as “Lady Shema” has given birth to a song seven years in the making. She was busy blazing a trail of excellence everywhere she went. She spent almost a decade as an educator, teaching at primary, junior and high school levels. She is a media maven, well known for her time as a ZNS news reporter; a marketing and brand manager for two of the biggest corporations in the country; and as the award-winning Gospel radio show host “Lady Shema”. She even founded a mentorship programme for young girls and launched her own marketing and life coaching companies. All along, Shema was nourishing a relationship with Christ that began for her at a very early age. When she wasn’t delivering the spoken word, she was sharing her gift of song. That blossomed into a career as a recording Gospel artist whose music has been recognized and awarded locally and internationally. As she came into all she is today, she did so with this song – born out of a dream seven years ago, waiting to come to life.

“I originally wrote Catapult in 2016, minutes after I came out of a dream … I would even daresay, possibly an open vision,” Shema shared.

“It was as if I was elevated in the dream and I was made to look down by the sound of groaning and cries that I heard … sounded like a people in travail. When I looked down, I saw men and women of God in tattered clothing, and many of them looked dejected; but they were still working. Some were landscaping, doing construction work … some were preaching, teaching, singing and the like. Some of them even had chains on their hands while they worked. Suddenly, there was a loud sound and I could hear the chains falling from their hands. Immediately, they were all propelled into the air upward as though they were being catapulted with great speed. As they ascended, their countenance was brightened, their clothes transformed into fine exquisite clothing, and they continued to be propelled until I could see them no more.”

“I asked in the dream, ‘What does this mean?’ ‘What am I seeing?’ I heard in my spirit while still in the dream that “We are at the door of the season where The Lord Himself will catapult His people into positions of influence, affluence and authority, for His sake. The morning after the dream, God continued to minister to my spirit about the dream saying that He will tear down one and lift up the other. That He will, by His sovereignty and will, exponentially and swiftly advance His children, even the least among them, into leadership and wealth to execute Kingdom occupation. That He will position them in seats of authority and riches in all pillars of society … in families, religion, education, media, entertainment, business and government. That He will take some from the very back to the very front in one move for His glory alone.”

With such a powerful vision, Shema wrote “Catapult” in 2016 and began recording the song in 2017. Everything that could go wrong, she said, went wrong concerning the recording of this song. It got to the point where finishing it started to feel like a burden and it just wasn’t coming together. In 2019, Shema literally let the song go completely.

“I gave it back to the Lord,” she said, “And told Him that it was His song and that when it’s the right time, He will bring it to completion.”

“Honestly, I really just didn’t want anything to do with the song anymore, I kept on running from it because it was just rough! The years passed and the song would not leave me alone. In the summer of 2022, the song kept on coming to me even in my sleep; so I knew God was about to do something with the song. God did it! In November 2022 things started to fall into place and the song came to completion.”

“Sammi Starr (producer) worked the track like it was his own song with amazing skill. Ray E Ewing (Ray Armbrister) of KTVA Music had the patience of Job with the mixing and mastering process, and Bryan Shortell put on the finishing touches masterfully.”

If Catapult is anything like her previous music releases, it’s a hand clapping, foot stomping affair that will motivate people all over the world to live a life of purpose. Shema’s debut music single, “Affirmation” garnered three nominations in the Caribbean Gospel Music Marlin Awards. The song “We Lift Our Hands”, recorded with the Bahamas Harvest Choir - for which she served as lead vocals arranger and vocalist - won The Marlin Award for ‘Praise & Worship Recording of The Year in 2004’. Her original song “Walls of Jericho” also garnered a semi-finalist position in the International Song Competition, which attracts around 15,000 entries annually from over 150 countries with an impressive cadre of international record company owners, world renowned music industry professionals and executives, as well as Grammy Award Winners.

Shema wants her fans to know that dreams they let go of; dreams they put on the backburner; and dreams that may seem impossible, but are born out of their soul, can be brought to life. Her faith gave her the courage to take on a dream she had once given up on. She pulled from deep within to share the dream that was born from her mind and sung from her heart. With Christ, she says, she has been able to weather every storm in her life and continue to shine her light.

It was in 2013 that Shema was first ordained to preach the Gospel. Her parents set the pace. Her father, Rev Dr Oswald “Ossie” Poitier, is a pioneer in Bahamian Gospel music. When he introduced the authentic Bahamian sound of Junkanoo and Rake N’ Scrape to church worship in the early 1970s, he was ridiculed by some.

“He always felt that the authentic Bahamian sound should be represented in the worship experience as a part of our cultural expression,” Shema said.

“His original Bahamian Gospel recordings were so infectious and well received in the early 1970’s they were even played in the discos and people danced to his music. Ossie was the first who advocated for Bahamian Gospel Music to be played on prime time radio on ZNS. Eventually, he was successful and today we hear Bahamian Gospel music on radio stations all over The Bahamas 24-7.

“He was not just a solo artist. but he also started or was part of quite a number of popular Bahamian Gospel groups, including The Redemption Gospel Singers.”

Shema’s mother, Rev Dr Sebrena “Sibbie” Poitier, is the prayer warrior of the family and together, she and Rev Ossie raised their four amazing children that are a testament to their love of God and family. Shema is the eldest. Her siblings Samantha, Samuel “Sammi Starr” Poitier, and Selah Haile Simone Poitier are all stars in their own right.

The Poitiers moved back to Andros, where Ossie and Sibbie were born and bred, when Shema had just completed grade three. Here, the Poitier’s ministry would come alive.

They created “Regeneration Army Word Ministries - RAWM” a nondenominational Jesus movement in Andros. As a ministry team, they held a lot of major community events. One of the most successful was the “All Day Andros Music Festival”, hosted in the early 1990’s. It was greatly attended with Androsians coming from South, Central and North Andros and noted Parliamentarians, including the late Darrell E Rolle, made special remarks.

“My mom takes Ministry very seriously and she serves in her local church – St John’s Native Baptist Church in varied roles, but mostly as a helpmate to the leadership role my father most recently executed at St John’s,” Shema said.

“Her community work and her strong transformational presence as a wife and mother have been recognized. She was honoured by the acclaimed ‘The Rahming Brothers’ Organization in 2018, and she is also the recipient of The Bahamas National Gospel Excellence Awards.”

Sibbie’s father, the late Edgar E Rolle, was the first in many acquisitions and accomplishments in Andros. He was the owner of mailboat servicing goods from Florida to Andros and the proprietor of the most progressive grocery store in North Andros – EL Rolle and Sons, located on Queen’s Highway, North Andros. Sibbie’s mother, the late Rev Prudence Rolle took up the mantle after Edgar’s passing when Sibbie was only 10 years old. Prudence managed to expand the business to one that now has a comprehensive inventory and that is still the go-to to store in North Andros to fulfill grocery and appliance needs.

Shema says of her island upbringing: “One of my fondest memories I have of the cultural, music and arts festivals that my family and I participated in while in Andros was when my brother, sister and I sang a song that we adopted from the 1989 movie titled “Lean on Me” with main actor Morgan Freeman.

“So many people told us that day that we sounded just like singers in the movie.

“We were humbled and grateful for their encouragement.”

Shema would continue to excel after leaving her high school in Andros. She earned an Associate’s degree in Biology and Chemistry from the College of The Bahamas. She then earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Theology from Lee University, going on to serve as a registered pharmacy technician for a number of years.

Shema was still in junior high, attending North Andros High School, when she got the news of the death of her father’s mother, Gwendolyn Thompson: “I remember that I became so overwhelmed with emotion that I stopped singing and started crying. My uncle, who was also my pastor at the time, Rev E John Newton, told me that I could do it, that I could finish the song. So I mustered the strength and sang through the tears. My grandma ‘Gwenny’ was one of the strongest and women I’ve ever met.”

Shema has pulled from the strength of the great legacy of her family to find her own voice. In what would be the final battle before Catapult would be released, Shema developed Long Covid, and would have to overcome major battles to heal body and lift her voice in song.

She did so with the support of her brother, world-class entertainer Sammi Starr, whose hit song “Come Gold with Us” is currently blazing the airwaves and social media as the lead song for the 50th CARIFTA Games, held in Nassau April 7-10. Sammie is one of the biggest recording artists and producers to come out of the Caribbean.

Shema’s sister, Samantha, has an amazing range to her voice and is a talented musician. Samantha was Miss Gospel Bahamas 2003-2004, blowing away the audience and the judges with her intellectual prowess and golden voice.

Selah Haile Simone Poitier may be the baby of the Poitier pack, but she is making some serious international waves. Ossie was known as “the Bahamian BB King” for playing a mean lead guitar; now Selah is coming to take it to another level.

She is the first classically trained double bassist in The Bahamas.

Selah Plays the electric bass guitar, and Shema says “watching her is transcendent”. She has made tremendous strides in the international music world, including receiving a commendation from Grammy Award winning artist India Arie. Selah also plays the double bass, electric guitar and piano.

With a heart of gratitude for the love the Bahamian people have poured on her, Shema releases “Catapult”, with the help of Sawyers Studios Business Centre, located in the Flower’s Plaza, Carmichael Road. Shema is thankful for the life lessons she has learned as “teacher” and “mentor” to young people; as “Lady Shema”, one of the most inspirational radio hosts in The Bahamas, touching stations like Joy, Sports Radio and Spirit Gospel; and as a media maven whose professional career has led her to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.

She vows to continue to allow her faith to help her catapult to the next level. Look for “Catapult” by Shema Poitier on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and Tidal, or make a special request at your favorite radio station. To reach Shema, email shemapoitier@gmail.com.