world of musicvideos: Belize: Melonie Gillett

world of musicvideos: Belize: Melonie Gillett: Belize, the only english-speaking nation on Centralamerica, introduces to you Melonie Gillett. A good chance to listen a native style music...

“BE HER BREATH” – Melonie Gillett Lifts Her Voice in the Fight Against Cancer

Inspiration often springs from pain, and it was precisely this emotion that singer/songwriter Melonie Gillett channeled into composing “Be Her Breath”, a sparkling ballad. Its nostalgic lyrics and haunting melody were written to honor the passing of her aunt Verna Gardiner-Ewing, who died from cancer in 2011.

More so than anything else she’s written in her prolific career, this tune is intricately connected to Melonie’s growth as an artist, requiring her to rise to the occasion by digging deep, converting her grief into something worthy of the intent. The tune, produced by Kendoyll Simpson, is a declaration of gratitude for the positive presence of her aunt, during her time here. It is also a prayer, a spiritual manifestation of love and loss.

The song has now taken on new life with the debut of a video, directed by Ms. Gillett, that dramatizes the weight of coping with this devastating affliction. Shots of grieving family members, with shocked faces, and a brief clip of her beloved grandfather, whom she recently lost, shine a light on an experience that so many suffer in private. Interspersed with shots of “warriors” in the fight against the disease, carrying placards, one of which reads “Cancer Sucks” – this music promo does not shrink from exposing the force of the formidable agent it fights against.

Of particular note is the radiant presence of Belize’s First Lady, Kim Simplis-Barrow, a living example of the power of determination and positive thinking. Kim has waged a very public battle against the disease with enviable grace and serenity – becoming an icon in the process, and an encouragement to so many of her fellow Belizeans. She appears accompanied by her daughter, both decked out in hot pink, celebrating the moment, and defying the odds.

Videographer/Director of Photography (Cinematographer), Michael Vasquez, and Production Designer, Skip Weaver, have framed the subject matter in crisp, vivid scenes, shot in Burrell Boom, Belize City and the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital.  Melonie’s star turn is enveloped in dreamy sequences – candle-lit, serene settings, and high-fashion fab in a wafting breeze. Editor Jahmai Trapp has done a masterful job of weaving reality and the fantastical into a powerful, coherent tone.

“Be Her Breath” is memorable for all of these elements, and this much is also very clear – Melonie Gillett is an artist on a mission: to enlighten, to inspire, and to help find a lasting solution, that will eradicate this dreaded disease.

Our heart-felt gratitude to the Belize Cancer Society, the Belize Cancer Center Dangriga, Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow and the staff of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, for their continued dedication to creating a better day for us all!

http://beherbreath.blogspot.com/

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