Episode 34: Cherrod Lewis

Explicit content warning

09/24/20 • 56 min

Cherrod Lewis remembers listening to R&B for most of his childhood. His two older sisters were uber fans of the genre. Naturally their love for the genre and music in general had a huge impact on their little brother. Cherrod’s thoughts however ran a lot deeper than just knowing the hit songs. He wanted to know how they were created. He recalls spending hours trying to deconstruct the tones, drums, melodies and other sounds that he was hearing.

By his early teenage years, he was convinced. Music wasn’t just something that he loved; music was who he was. Cherrod joined with a few friends and formed The Supreme Band. They were an instant hit. Supreme would go on to produced 3 albums and become one of the new it bands among teens on the island.

One night outside of a local beach bar, Cherrod was approached by the artist Panther. Panther is one of Anguilla’s biggest Soca stars. Panther complimented him on the night’s performance but then shocked him by asking him to join his band. It was a no brainer, Cherrod had dreamed about such an opportunity since childhood. After studying every one of the songs on the bands’ latest album, he blew away the band’s members and the band’s management at his audition. Within days he would hit the stage with the infamous Panther Vibes International (PVI).

As one of two producers with PVI, Cherrod’s star continued to rise as he produced and assisted with creating hit after hit for the band. Life was good. Cherrod however did not want to be complacent. He decided to hoist his anchor and enroll in Full Sail University in Florida. Full Sail opened an entire new world to Cherrod. By the time he graduated he was one of the most sought-after young producer/ engineers in the Caribbean.

Today, he splits his time between studios in Miami, his native Anguilla and Trinidad. Do you need a smash hit? Get in line. Cherrod is usually booked solid. A testament to his penchant for producing hits and making them sound exquisite through his engineering. He has already produced for Soca’s A list, but Cherrod is not finished. He has his sights set on new markets and new artists. And if history is an indicator, he will accomplish those goals.

In the meantime. This is the story, thus far... of Cherrod Lewis.

In the meantime. This is the story, thus far... of Cherrod Lewis.

Previous Episode

Episode 33: Zahira Marmar

Sint Maarten, not to be confused with St. Martin is the Dutch half of the small Caribbean island shared by the Netherlands and France. Zahira Marmar was raised there. She was introduced to farming by her immediate family. She fell in love with it.

Typically, this story would continue to tell you how Zahira grew peas, pumpkins and corn. However, Zahira fell in love with herbs. Herbs for seasoning? Well yes... but more specifically, herbs for teas and herbs for healing. Zahira recognized the benefits of the herbs that grew naturally on her island. Her mother taught her how to make teas for different purposes and how to combine those herbs to create different flavors and to help the body.

Like many young people Zahira left her native St. Maarten to attend University. She returned home after college and decided to share her love for herbs through a unique business that she pioneered. Zahira and her team would create and maintain herb gardens for her clients. It was her way of sharing her love for farming and of course... herbs.

With love and marriage Zahira would move to the United States. Again, she figured a way to share her knowledge of herbs and teas with friends. She began to brew small amounts of teas for her immediate circle. Her teas were a hit. Then it hit her. Why not create a beverage?

Zahira, her husband and even her daughter got to work. Her idea became the family’s dream. After a few years of licenses, regulations and meetings, Hrbvor was born.

Zahira was elated and ready for a massive launch in early 2020. Alas, like many others her plans faced the storm which is Covid 19. However, this was not the first storm that Zahira faced in her lifetime. She faced it head on. She is focused and persistent, and Hrbvor made it to shelves all across the New York City area. And yes, she delivers them rain or sunshine. Zahira is an amazing personality with an amazing story and an amazing company!

This is the story... Thus far... Of Zahira Marmar.

Next Episode

Episode 35: Ron Elliot

As a child, Ron Elliot was a lover of comic books. He bought them, he sold them, he read them. He loved comic books. Comic books truly introduced Ron to the world of fantasy and stretched his imagination. While he was an elementary school student, Ron wrote, produced and directed his first play. His teacher was thoroughly impressed. This was the beginning of Ron Elliot the storyteller.

The seed was planted. Ron was in love with telling his own stories. The realm of possibility however, was taken to another level, once Ron experienced his first Star Wars film. That was it for him. He knew what his passion was.

As a young man, Ron opted to join the military. Even while in the Middle East, fighting for his country in Dessert Storm, Ron thought about a career in the entertainment industry once he returned to the United States. He kept that promise to himself. Upon his return, he tried his hand at music production. He observed his friend’s success in the industry and was determined to produce beats as good as or even better. He admits, it didn’t quite turn out the way he planned. Although he decided against being a music producer, Ron landed a job at storied record label Def Jam Recordings in the promotions dept. It is there that Ron sharpened his skills in marketing among other things.

Ron moved up the ranks and through Def Jam he was introduced to the world of music videos. Music videos were just mini movies. The sets, the costumes, the ideas, the scripts all resurrected that little boy who had dreams of writing. Ron used the opportunity to work and learn from the likes of legendary directors like Hype Williams and Benny Boom.

Life’s journey would take Ron to BET, MTV, Tempo, NBC and a bevy of other networks. He became one of the most sought-after post-production specialists in the industry, known for his accuracy and speed in editing.

But Ron was not done. He started to write, direct, and shoot his own films. He reached his childhood dream. Today, Ron stands on several awards and has no plans of slowing down. His films have been screened at major film festivals and are available on digital platforms.

Ron Elliot that little boy with exceptional writing ability is now Ron Elliot the master storyteller. But wait until you hear what he has planned next.

This is the story... thus far... Of Ron Elliot.