“Expect Lil’ Bitts like you’ve never seen her before.”
That’s what soca act Lil’ Bitts (Shivonne Churche-Isaacs) says fans of the genre can anticipate from her upcoming documentary Talawa.
Bitts says Talawa, which comes from the Jamaican saying “likkle but talawa” meaning small but strong, will give fans a window into her creative process, as well as a unique behind the scenes look into the daily life of a soca performer.
The production is set for a simultaneous broadcast on local TV and on several online platforms at 3 p.m. on Easter Monday.
“Why a documentary? Who else can tell my story better than me?” Bitts responded during an online exchange with the Kitcharee on Tuesday.
“We live in a weird time where it’s difficult for artistes to really reach out to their audiences the usual way. And I thought this would be an awesome way by celebrating my backstory. I really wanted to give people an insight into my musical life. There are a lot of things people don’t know about the process. I wouldn’t say I had any records to set straight necessarily. But sometimes people think they may know but don’t,” she continued.
The “Bump” singer said Talawa will also feature a live show component where she plans to share some of the new material she has been working on during the extended down time caused by the ongoing Covid-19 global pandemic.
“The documentary is both a documentary and live show. It’s a ‘DocuPerformance’ that you don’t want to miss. I’m currently in the studio working on new music,” the diminutuve singer revealed.
An emotionally difficult time
Bitts, 36, first started in music in 2002 at just 17 years old. Two years later she became a household name with the hit collaboration “In My Country” which featured an emerging mercurial talent in Bunji Garlin (Ian Alvarez).
After a bit of a hiatus, Bitts re-emerged on the soca scene in 2020 with “Co-Sign” which featured Farmer Nappy (Darryl Henry). She followed up with her 2021 release “Remember Me”, the music video for which remarkably showed her switch up her look about ten times.
The lockdowns and restrictions to gatherings and travel have hindered her progress, Bitts said. She admits it has been a challenge to stay in a positive mental space through the setbacks and credits her family support system and a new found love for yoga and nature walks with helping her keep her sanity.
“Emotionally it was bad. My anxiety reached its highest and I was getting a lot of anxiety attacks. Thankfully, I started meditation, yoga and nature walks. Anything to keep my mind steady.
“Thankfully, I have a job with the National Theatre Arts Company and my manager (husband Seon Isaac) continues to do great business for my brand which keeps the income flowing. My husband, friends and family definitely keep me motivated. I also have my regular fans who message me on social media every single day to check in on me. I appreciate them all. Thank you,” she concluded.
