- 5 weeks ago
For many of us, hearing Love Movement takes us right back to the good old days. They had you singing along because their music was a regular feature on TV6, and today, we're catching up with the group and reminiscing about the music that became part of our memories.
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00:00Catching Up is brought to you by Iconic Mass.
00:23If you were born in Trinidad and lived through the 80s and 90s,
00:27then this song should be familiar for you because 34 years later, I have them right here with me.
00:36When one woman realized there was a growing problem with young people in primary and secondary schools
00:41becoming involved in drugs, she knew something had to be done.
00:45She wanted to give them something positive to focus on,
00:49something that would keep them engaged, inspired and moving in a different direction.
00:55And one day at the prayer meeting, these guys came, must have been in their late teens or early 20s,
01:00giving a testimony of how they were now healed from drugs.
01:04Their parents prayed for them and what a terrible life they had lived
01:07and what they had done and the power of God.
01:09And God zapped me at the same time.
01:12And one day when I was at church at Mass, the thought came to me,
01:16they're feeding their minds and their bodies and not their souls and their spirits.
01:19I want you to start a youth group.
01:22And I argue with God all the time.
01:24I say, yeah, right.
01:24But where are you doing that and how are you doing it?
01:26But when God calls you to do something, you do it.
01:31Bernadette went from school to school, spreading the word and sending out flyers.
01:35And then one day she left a simple piece of paper and a pen at the altar.
01:41And that morning, I felt in my heart something saying to me,
01:45leave a pen or pencil and leave a book and ask anybody who would like to meet with you again
01:50to leave their name.
01:51Of course, when I went to the senior group, they said, next idea, where that come from.
01:54I said, well, give me when God tell me I listen.
01:56So I left it.
01:58Everybody came up for prayers.
01:59Everybody was praising God.
02:01And they left when I went to the front of the altar.
02:04There was a copy book with 140 names.
02:07Now she had the utes, she had the music, but she still needed a space.
02:12Searching for funding, Bernadette finally got her prayers answered.
02:16And in the most unexpected ways.
02:19One day I was driving home and I saw around the Savannah truck.
02:22And I saw bricks and I saw things looking like somebody's going to build something.
02:27And the first time we followed the truck.
02:29Followed the truck.
02:30It went around the Savannah.
02:31It went up St. Anne's.
02:32It went up 2nd Avenue.
02:33Stopped outside the building.
02:34And the driver said, you know anybody who have keys for this bucket?
02:39I said, yes, brother, I have the keys right here.
02:41I said, well, he said, the American government send this.
02:43They come in here to do something.
02:44I said, for true.
02:45He said, I got out my car.
02:47I didn't know any concrete, any stone.
02:49I said, oh, Jesus, Lord, I praise you, Lord Jesus.
02:52Thank you, Lord, thank you, God.
02:53But now I have so much work to do.
02:55All that was left was a name.
02:57They called themselves the Love Movement.
03:00And the rest was history.
03:02Speaking of history, one of their songs, Our Message, is certainly one that has lived on in Trinidad and Tobago's
03:10history.
03:11Especially if you're one of those people who have your television tuned in to TV6.
03:16But how did the song, Our Message, come about?
03:20One day, I looked in the Guardian newspaper, and I'm sorry I never kept the article.
03:25And I read this thing, and a 17-year-old girl had written,
03:31Dear Adults, something like that,
03:34Why do you tell us we have to use a condom?
03:39Do you think we don't have self-control?
03:41Don't you think we can make good decisions for ourselves?
03:45Why are you treating us like rubbish?
03:47We have to give you the condoms to take out with your friend and not tell you,
03:51Look, don't do this for a particular reason.
03:53Right?
03:54Well, that night, I got so blue.
03:58I got in my bed, and I just started writing.
04:00And the first thing came to me is, I can't sing again,
04:04The only safe sex is marital sex.
04:07Now, somebody argued out with me, marital sex is not safe.
04:12I said I should have put, should be marital, but no.
04:15Understand what I was saying.
04:17The only safe sex is marital sex.
04:19Sing along now.
04:20Tell me anything else, we'll get back, back, back.
04:23Teach us we have the ability.
04:28And the cast themselves can still remember the experience,
04:32each with their own story to tell.
04:35I do remember, you know, learning the song
04:38and having the experience of going to the studio
04:41and, you know, studio recording is also lots of fun.
04:44And just the energy, you know, people were really just happy
04:48to be part of something new.
04:50I do remember on the day, some parts felt a little grueling
04:53because, you know, it's hot sun and tick, tick two, tick ten,
04:56tick, you know, we ended up having to do lots of ticks.
05:00But still, everybody was just in really positive moods.
05:04And, yeah, it's been a real pleasure.
05:07And while Leslie remembers the experience fondly,
05:10Richard remembers being the troublemaker.
05:13Myself, Kevin and Chris and some of the other guys,
05:16we used to like to, you know, think of ourselves as provocateur,
05:19you know, to get Blinette riled up, you know.
05:21And I remember at that point in time,
05:24Mad Cobra had a song out, Flex, Time to Have Sex.
05:26And every time Blinette heard that song,
05:31it used to drive her crazy.
05:33And Kevin can still recall the moment he realized
05:36that this song had become a hit.
05:39You're telling us to have safe sex.
05:42We must find...
05:42Some of the friends in them say,
05:44hey, Kevin, look, you're on TV.
05:45I say, what?
05:46I say, you mad at all.
05:47I don't know TV, but...
05:48And then, like, everywhere it goes,
05:50like, someone say,
05:52but you wasn't following TV,
05:54singing love movement.
05:56And for some,
05:57the love movement became much more than music.
06:00It became a safe place.
06:03And it was also where Michelle found her confidence.
06:06I really did not want to sing.
06:10I really didn't want to sing.
06:12But Blinette saw what she saw.
06:15Previous to the video,
06:17we had a concert,
06:19and she invited me to do a lead the concert.
06:23It was about three nights.
06:24I was nervous every night.
06:28Every night.
06:29It's like sweaty hands.
06:31But it was good.
06:33It was practice for, you know,
06:36God knew what he had in store for me as well.
06:38Then, there were those who had
06:40one or two awkward interactions along the way.
06:44I remember walking on the street,
06:45and people were like,
06:45are you a virgin?
06:47I'm like, oh, yeah.
06:49You know?
06:50You know, so...
06:51And, you know, so...
06:53How does it feel?
06:54And, you know, so you have these people,
06:58and they'll talk to...
06:58So, a lot of people, as I said before,
07:00they will come and ask you for advice.
07:02You know, do you have any regrets
07:04and situations like that?
07:05So, we learned a lot.
07:06We grew a lot.
07:08Many years later, life moved on.
07:11Some stayed.
07:12Some passed away.
07:14While others eventually moved abroad.
07:25Christiane sang the chorus that remains etched in our memories to this day.
07:29I felt very proud to be a part of that video,
07:33and it made me feel special every carnival,
07:37when it played as an ad break.
07:42It was nice to know that that message went out to the people
07:46who were going to play mass every year.
07:49But you encourage us to abuse our bodies.
07:52Is it because you're fit like man's feet?
07:55And Denise?
07:56Being in the love movement meant you were part of a really big family.
08:01A family that just loved to sing and perform.
08:04And then joining the youth group meant that that family expanded.
08:08So, it was fresh, new energy, different sort of vibe, new friendships.
08:14And when someone or somewhere makes you feel at home,
08:18there's always a right time to show gratitude.
08:21And I just want to say to Auntie B,
08:24thank you for shaping all of us into our adulthood
08:28because you formed a part of who we are today.
08:31So, if we didn't get to say it before, thank you.
08:35Memories like these have a way of bringing people back together.
08:38The only words we want to hear from you
08:43Are words of encouragement that are rarely true
08:48Just tell us
08:49The only thing that says this is moral tone sex
08:52Now there's anything else we'll get back
08:54Rochelle Edwards, TV6 News
09:01Catching Up was brought to you by Iconic Mask
09:04Again, we're going to be able to be the best
09:04That might be Nice in mind
09:05What the reason is要?
09:05We're going to be the most part of it