Not even a cast on her foot and a pair of crutches for support could stop Miss World 2019, Toni Ann Singh, from gracing the stage at Wednesday’s official launch of Jamaica 60 celebrations on the lawns of Jamaica House.
On a tight programme, which had five entertainment items, Singh, whose talents were applauded by the world when she won the celebrated beauty pageant in 2019, was down to sing two songs.
Following Ashe’s opening performance and the prayer by Rev Christine Gooden Benguche, Singh appeared on stage seated on a stool with a mic in her hand. Her offering was The Prayer, a song made popular by iconic vocalists Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli and which she had performed at the March 17 crowning of Miss World 2021 in Puerto Rico.
“Our current Miss World Toni-Ann Singh performs The Prayer as we light candles around the world to stand with Ukraine. Not a dry eye in the arena,” the Miss World organisers said in a tweet.
Just as she did then, Singh impressed the invited guests at the launch and had some in the audience questioning if she had gone into music full time.
Her next offering came towards the end of the programme, just before Prime Minister Andrew Holness officially declared Jamaica 60 launched. The sounds and melody of Bob Marley’s solo acoustic, Redemption Song, rang throughout Jamaica House as the beauty queen sang the song of protest and triumph.
Old pirates, yes, they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the Almighty
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly
Won’t you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
‘Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
With his penchant for beautiful women well documented, Bob Marley would no doubt have been pleased by the effort of the longest reigning Miss World (2019- 2022) courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic .