The Ministry of Wendell

This is the essence of Wendell Bompart, a 44-year-old prisons officer whose ministry manifests not only behind prison walls, but on the radio airwaves as a broadcaster and an entertainer, as he sings, is a comedian and a master of ceremonies.

And he is now pursuing a degree in Management of the Protective Services at the College of Applied Arts and Sciences of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT) in The Department of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies, successor body to the Joint Services Staff College.

He lives the Word, and says of himself, “...I am a husband to one wife, a father. I am a music minister.

I am a friend to many. But I am also very, very shy.” If you’ve ever listened to Bompart on his radio show on SKY 99.5FM, shy is not the conclusion you would come to.

While a timid person may find refuge within the walls of the radio studio, Bompart normally goes live on facebook during his shows. What is more, he has created another persona to keep his listeners entertained – Granny B.

Bompart has been using this persona for years, whether as a prank on his radio show or while performing, not something you would expect from a shy person.

“A lot of people don’t know that (that he is timid),” says Bompart.

“…From ever since I was a teenager, shyness would step in. I realised I had to ‘jump in’ to do everything – feet first.

If I didn’t, if I hesitated at all, I wouldn’t do it. And most times in anything that I do, any time I hesitate, it’s normally my worst performance – whether it’s singing, emceeing, even to start a show on radio, once I hesitate, for me, that is it. Thinking before I leap, for me, it ‘doh’ ever work. I will think myself out of it…” Before working at SKY, Bompart has been an officer for the Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service. “I will say ‘was’ (a prison’s officer) because I’m on leave now. I’m full-time in school now.” Being a prisons officer was not something Bompart had ever envisioned for himself. In fact, he worked for Royal Bank, and then left only to realise it was difficult to find a new job.

A congregant at Bompart’s home church – St James Church of the Nazarene – a prisons officer, took notice of his unemployment and suggested he apply to become an officer.

Bompart’s heart, at the time, was not in it. Up to time of the submission of his application, he viewed it at as just another job.

So when he secured work at a roofing company, a job that paid well, while awaiting his medical for the prisons service, he resolved not to pursue being a prisons officer. On the day of his medical, he went to his roofing company job as normal and while there, the congregant, Mervyn Harris, contacted him to find where he was, and said to him, “Boy! Go down and do your medical!” Bompart’s obedience to Harris marked a turning point in his life, for a position that Bompart once considered another job, would become dear to his heart and part of his calling.

He explained, “…I went down, had to walk through Port-of-Spain Prison Yard and see all these inmates, some of them half-naked bathing, bigger than me, and telling myself, ‘Do I really want to do this?’ We had the medical in the infirmary in Port-of-Spain, and where I sat there was a cage, an enclosed area for the inmates who are in the infirmary. And I never got the guy’s name, an East Indian inmate, he was in there. And he was like ‘Psst, Psst, young fella, young fella. You really want to come in prisons, boy?’ “So I was like, ‘I’m thinking about it.’ “‘You feel you could change lives?’ That is exactly what he told me.

“So instantly, being a Christian, that set in.

‘Yeah, I think I can.’ Now mind you, this was before the prison had started to adopt the whole restorative justice policy. So I didn’t know anything about that. So when he said if I could change lives, I said, ‘I think I could.’ “He said, ‘If that is why you coming here, ‘daz’ a good place to be. Because you could change lives here. You could change lives here.’ An inmate was telling me that. I think that’s why I made up my mind from there, that okay, this is what I wanted to do.” He joined the prisons services in 1998, where he started off as a PO1 at the Youth Training Centre (YTC) in Arouca. From there, he joined the Prisons Service Band. And a lot of what he does now as a performer stems from his experience in the band.

There, he learned how to play the saxophone, and within three to four months, he was playing “on the road for independence.” He also learned the importance of a strong stage presence.

A former prisons officer who was also in the band, Glenn Nicholas, taught Bompart that.

Nicholas told him if he could not hold someone’s attention, then he couldn’t “preach to them, you can’t teach them…” But the Prisons Service Band’s performances began to “war” with his Christianity.

The band’s performances ranged from gospel to military to conventional; so often times, Bompart had to play and sing calypso. As a Christian, he felt uncomfortable with such performances and thus, asked to be removed from the band.

Thereafter, he resumed his duties at YTC as a (prisons officer) PO I and encountered communications specialist, Sharon Ramsaran. Ramsaran had seen Bompart give a speech at an event he couldn’t recall and she was very impressed with him. She approached him about his speaking skills, and for two years, Bompart worked with Ramsaran.

She left after those two years, and Bompart took up her position for the Prisons Service.

From there, he was promoted to PO II and was offered the opportunity to pursue his degree in the Department of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies at COSTAATT.

He has not forgotten his music though, as those who are familiar with Bompart and his work know. And he cannot; for he has spent his entire life around it having grown up in a musical family.

“…My dad sang in church, I sang in church growing up. I grew up in the children’s choir. Other than my dad, my aunt, Bernice Bompart who I called my second mom – she passed away three years ago from cancer, she passed away after my real mom – was my first choir director and many of the young people from my church who are in music now, credit her for her influence.

Through her we learned how to harmonise, how to go thorough long rehearsals…” In the late 90s, he was a member of Highest Praise, a top gospel group at the time, spending five years with them.

Between 2002 and 2003, after a break from the music group life, Bompart joined another group called Word.

Word enjoyed two successful songs: ‘Arise’ and ‘Lift your Banner High’.” Bompart has also done music jingles. In 2001, he did his first set of jingles for 96.1 FM.

He is also the voice for the Lucozade energy ad, the “stick man that everybody loves to see dance for Carnival,” and he has done several for Digicel, including the James Brown advertisement.

Today, Bompart has ventured into a solo music career. His first release this year was the “Jesus Party Riddim – Holy Ghost Exchange” an upbeat song celebrating the birth of Christ, released in early November.

“Two views on the Unity Riddim” with fellow radio broadcaster and gospel minister Ancil Bain followed on the heels of his first release.

And in late November, Bompart and CNC3 news anchor, Golda Lee Bruce, teamed up for a Christmas medley entitled, “O Come You are Awesome.” “O Come You are Awesome” hit the airwaves regionally and in the United States (US).

Nonetheless, he plans to remain a part of the prisons service, using his training in management to improve the quality of the service.

“And what has helped, you see,” said Bompart, reflecting on his success, “(is) the favour of God, you cannot negate the favour of God. I had a cousinin- law, who ministers to me repeatedly, and she always says to me, ‘Your giftings will bring you before kings.’ And I’ve seen it. I’ve had the opportunity to minister in the US to several people. I’ve received a Letter of Commendation for Volunteerism from the White House from President Obama.

That was in 2013…And I don’t ever forget that, that it’s only because of the favour of God.

“You can have the best song, the best voice, the best talent, if you don’t have God’s favour then nothing will happen. I’ve had the opportunity to minister at, and sing at, to host functions for both governments. I get messages from former (government) ministers, current ministers, just on a regular basis… Again, that is not me, that is just the favour of God.