Gospel songstress calls for help

Fourteen-year-old Winsie-Ann Cuffie of Mc Bean Village, Couva, is pleading with the authorities to take control of the situation.

Cuffie, who has excelled in academics and has a string of popular gospel based songs and music videos, has struck a chord with young people through the lyrical content of her pieces.

Cuffie is now seen as one of the few who is able to reach young people with her messages through song, in which she appeals to them to choose the path of character, dignity and righteousness.

Newsday sought the views of the Couva songstress yesterday on the recent gruesome murder of six-year-old Sean Luke of Orange Valley.

Luke was found dead last Tuesday morning in a canefield some 300 feet away from his home at Henry Street West. He was a second year pupil at the Waterloo Hindu Primary School.

An autopsy revealed that Luke died of internal chest and abdominal injuries as well as haemorrhaging.

Two boys, ages 13 and 16, have been charged with Luke’s murder and are expected to appear before a Couva magistrate today.

Cuffie, a Form Three student of the Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School said, “I am still struggling to come to terms with the fact that such an extremely horrific act against an innocent, defenceless child has really taken place and so close to me. It’s really a mental and psychological struggle right now.

“As you know, through my music I keep making a deep, passionate plea to young people to desist from evil, respect each other, revere life and love the Lord,” she said..

“I pray for the family every day. I have been quite busy lately, but I will definitely be visiting Sean’s mom soon, to be a blessing in whatever way I can,” she assured.

Cuffie, who later this week will defend her school’s Calypso Monarch crown, indicated she plans to pay tribute to “the late little Luke,” during her performance.

“I have decided to dedicate this particular song, entitled Character — the Virtue of Choice, to Sean’s cause. One tribute line goes: The only solution to beastly acts like Sean Luke’s murder, is Godly character. This crime also gives credence to the call for sobriety that I, and so many others, have been making to our youth population, and nation as a whole the young artiste quipped.”

As the third daughter of Pastor Dr Winston Cuffie, she also features as a special guest artiste in community-based and national programmes of the Ministry of Community Development.

She made reference to one of her stronger songs of last year — “A Call to Excellence” which brought her the School Monarch crown which she felt was prophetic about Sean Luke case.

The teenager emphasised that the fate of Sean Luke, Akiel Chambers and Dane Andrews has further strengthened her resolve to call for Godly standards of living and a greater focus upon traditional family values.