VISHANNA PHAGOO
Parang queen Alicia Jaggasar is spreading her wings. The lead singer of Los Alumnos de San Juan is launching her solo career and her album at her Dare to be Me concert, carded for July 3, at Queen's Hall, St Ann's. But, she assures her fans that she is not leaving the band.
"Once I have life, Los Alumnos de San Juan will also have life."
The show will include ten original songs to be featured in the album produced by her new brand, La Casa de Fusion. She told WMN her goal is to be hired as a solo artiste and be able to expose people to her extensive musical abilities.
"I want to do some touring because my dream is really to be out there and sing with people like Juan Luis Guerra," a Dominican musician who has been labelled one of the best-selling Latin music artistes since he sold over 30 million records worldwide.
[caption id="attachment_961756" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Alicia Jaggasar during a performance in concert. She launches her solo album at her Dare to be Me concert on July 3. Photo courtesy Alicia Jaggasar -[/caption]
The success of Jaggasar's planned solo career is especially important because she hopes it will bring in a steady income.
"I didn't have a choice, I'm the type of person that likes to sing with a band, and to make this decision, it was a difficult one for me. But this time I had to put myself and my family first."
Jaggasar lives with her two children, Michael, 19, and Maria, 22, in Santa Cruz, and after her husband Wayne Jagdeo died from lung cancer in 2021, she said it's been challenging financially. But, she said, giving back is an important to who she is and she will continue giving free musical training to students. Before the pandemic derailed her schedules in 2020, Jaggasar said she had been training students for 20 years prior. She had even taken on the role of a music teacher for Newtown Boys' RC Primary School, Port of Spain, and also did work with other schools in the area like, Newtown Girls' RC Primary School and Sacred Heart Girls' RC Primary School. She said she enjoyed training students who were taking part in calypso competitions. She offered writing advice and also helped them produce their songs.
Jaggasar said one of her biggest accomplishments is the impact she has had on the lives of the boys she trained at YTC, with whom she has been volunteering her time for three years.
"Los Alumnos de San Juan isn't the only victories that bring me joy, as helping these students win junior parang competition adds to that."
When asked how she feels about these experiences, she said, "I feel like an old woman sometimes."
Some of her former students would stop her on the streets asking her if she remembers them and she said sometimes she is amazed at how they've grown.
Jaggasar also does charity work with The Rose Foundation and Ambassador for Peace.
The Rose Foundation engages in programmes that are aligned with the achievements of the sustainable development goals, while Ambassador for Peace an international and inter-religious networ
