Faith Callender
Whether it’s her striking physique or her alluring smile, your eyes are immediately drawn to the vivacious entertainer Faith Callender. The Barbadian-born rising star has a captivating stage presence that commands your attention from the moment that the spotlight illuminates her frame, and she is skilled at holding this attention from the moment she enters the stage until she makes her exit. When you think of any of the region’s successful female soca stars, they all have that ‘IT’ factor which gives them mass appeal, and Barbadian songstress Faith Callender is certainly one who needs to be on the watch list of music fans across the globe.
Originating from humble beginnings, Faith is determined to make her mark on the world stage. Her focus on being a success is reinforced by the strong support of her family network. What is unique about her story is that unlike many performers, her love of performance was not passed down through her bloodline. It was during her childhood that her mother recognized her passion for singing and enrolled her in music theory and vocal training. Faith became one of the first in her family to venture into this field.
It was during her school years that the vocalist’s love for performance blossomed but even then, Faith never lost sight of the importance of academics. This prompted her to commence a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance at the University of the West Indies. In her second year, she dove deeper into her musical artistry and the exposure to professionals in the industry inspired her to create music of her own. There was always a balance of her two interests, she worked hard in pursuit of her scholastic dreams, eventually gaining her certification, but her thoughts of a music career always loomed in the background.
On realizing that her passion could not be contained Faith accepted she could no longer deny the path which she felt was preordained. On completion of her studies, she bravely took the step to make music her full-time career. The embers of her love for performance were fanned by seizing any chance to perform. Faith became a regular at open mic sessions and, whether it was on the hotel scene or in a bar, she was upfront doing what thrilled her the most-singing!
The charismatic entertainer, who describes her style as “fun, energetic, strong and sexy” has been churning out music since first dipping her feet into the soca arena in 2014. Among her list of accolades, the aspirant model was crowned as the Banks Calendar Girl in 2014, which ensured that her face was known locally and regionally. Her reggae track Listen Careful penned by Rhea Layne was featured on the soundtrack of the local film PayDay 2.
Since then it has been full throttle ahead. In her debut year, 2014, she released three soca singles –Lock It, Happiness, and Soca Therapy– the first of which secured her a reserve spot in the Party Monarch Finals. In the following year, she released Take Me Out, Double Trouble, and Road Rage. In the latter release, she teamed up with Caribbean Soca Queen Alison Hinds, creating a stir that season. This saw her advancing to the semi-final round of the Party Monarch competition. Her popularity steadily increased with solid songs like Haunted, ManGo, and Refill which enjoyed massive airplay. In 2018 her consistency was confirmed as she made another appearance in the Soca Royale finals with Run It. Faith revealed a raunchier side when she collaborated with Scrilla, for the bashment soca offering Gimme.
Faith has appeared at major national, regional, and international festivals. Fans have enjoyed performances at the Barbados Music Awards, Barbados Reggae Festival, and Soca on the Hill. The versatile performer has also participated in both Notting Hill and Miami Carnival. She has graced the stage at international music showcases like Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc’s (BTMI) Barbados on the Water which is held in Canada and the Afro Festival in Panama. Her talent has even taken her to the high seas, with performances on the Britannia Cruise Liner.
Faith is a diverse artist who refuses to be pigeonhole into one genre. She has been a featured vocalist in the Arturo Tappin Band which is a testament to her strength as a vocalist.
2019 was a year of monumental success for the artiste as she created key alliances in establishing her brand. She launched her debut album Memories with a star-studded soirée. Also, that year, she, along with a string of Barbados’ popular artists, joined forces with the Ministry of Education in an anti-violence campaign to stamp out bullying within the school system. She along with the team of Ambassadors traveled around the island, visiting every school and performing the ‘Peace Begins with Me’ jingle to enforce their message.
Faith made her debut in her island’s Pic O De Crop competition, one of the premier events of the Crop Over season. In her foray into the social commentary arena, she made quite an impact, advancing to the finals. Her song, which was penned by the highly-acclaimed songwriting team The Water Street Boys, was adjudged the most ‘Socially Uplifting Song’. She was yet again amongst the finalists for the revamped Soca Monarch battle in that same year.
This rising star is a self-professed perfectionist who goes to great pains to ensure that her music is produced at an impeccable standard. She is actively involved in the creative process. Whether it’s a word, note, or inflection she is not satisfied until every detail has been gone over a thousand times and is of high quality.
Faith revels in her ability to bring joy to people through her creativity and personality while simultaneously inspiring others through doing what she loves. Her performances promise to be packed with loads of positive energy, confidence, and massive sex appeal.
But there is more to this talented artist than meets the eye. Not only has she been wetting her feet as an events promoter, but she has been using her skills behind the scenes, creating eye-catching flyers and penning songs and jingles. The entrepreneur has had the privilege of working on the Banks Beer CPL commercial, co-writing the jingle, and collaborating on the visuals. Most recently, she has become an ambassador for multiple successful companies including telecommunications giant Digicel, Lemongrass Restaurant, and the Surfside Gym.
Faith believes success is based on an individual’s unique goals and touts, “Success is the journey and the destination and what is ultimately brings you joy.” She is focused and has her sights set firmly on said success. “I believe in the power of my dreams and the ability to manifest them,” she affirms. Undoubtedly success is a must for this multitalented vocalist and consummate entertainer.
