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“Jack” says search on for the next TCI Voice; weekly show aims to unearth talent

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By Shanieka Smith

Features Writer

 

#TurksandCaicos, April 26, 2022 – “Music is one of the most powerful tools that we have, not just for marketing… but also to kind of tackle some of the social issues that we may have.”

These are the words from a fervid and well known Turks and Caicos musician, who shared that music has changed his life. Recording Artiste and producer, Jack Lightbourne is the inspiration behind TCI Voice, the newest talent show in the island in search of new music talents.

TCI Voice, however, is more than a talent show, the idea behind the talent show and the intention going forward stem from a level of care and consideration for the development of Turks and Caicos Islands.

“It is really a community project that is designed to really go throughout the community and discover talent – hidden talent… for some of those [talents], it may be one of the only opportunities that they have at making a major move in their lives to really boost their confidence and interpersonal skills as well,” expressed Lightbourne.

It goes deeper than an individual based project, Lightbourne intends for TCI Voice to be one of the music projects in TCI to tackle some social issues.

“And we are trying to get the government to recognize that music is a very powerful tool for a destination like the Turks and Caicos,” he added.

Lightbourne said the TCI has not yet tipped the iceberg when it comes on to investing in the music industry. The government, he said, overlooks music and puts little emphasis on music and culture.

“The government needs to understand how powerful music is, not just for an individual, but for an entire nation, to really see the benefits of it,  and start to invest not just thousands but millions of dollars into developing music because of the tourism implications,” he reiterated.

The official search for talent began on Wednesday April 6 and has been going on every Wednesday evening at 7:30 at the Karaoke Bar and Grill.

Each week, the talents go through a process of elimination. The winner in the end will be given the opportunity to meet with professional recording personnel: engineers, writers, producers, some are grammy winners. Some of these professionals are from the United States, there is one from Trinidad and Tobago.

All the professionals will give the winner of TCI Voice an insight into what it is like to make a song. The winner will also get a single deal, where they are able to record their own song.

Lightbourne profoundly expressed that it is not about perfection, it’s about potential. This view is one of the major reason why anyone with music talent can be a part of TCI Voice; no audition is required.

“We already know our industry is small and undeveloped so we are not trying to put too much pressure on people to be perfect… if you discover their ability, you can still work with them,” he said.

He further expressed, “everywhere has talent, black people are talented and what we are trying to do is give that talent an opportunity. Most of the time we see talent being used in churches [and] talent shows.  But we really don’t have a well-established music industry where we can take that talent and have it organised in a professional way.”

TCI Voice is a rare opportunity for people who can sing to become professionals. Hence, the idea behind the name TCI Voice itself – the voices are already in the TCI and it’s just for them to be heard and nurtured.

“We need our own voice; it’s about time that the focus becomes Turks and Caicos, Turks and Caicos music. We have been neglecting that aspect of music. We haven’t been focused on us, we’ve been focusing on promoting every other culture except ours,” said Lightbourne as he highlighted that the music industry in the TCI has been centred around cover bands.

As such, the production side of music has been ignored. He explained that production is really what should be exploited.

“We need to dig out songs from these artists, from these musicians and have them move towards the professional side of this industry, where the money is, where the marketing is, and where the business is strong,” he said.

This will in turn establish a strong brand of  music in and from the TCI and will also bring a worldwide awareness of the island.

Along with Lightbourne, the 43 year old recording artist and producer from Grand Turk, a few other people made the show come to life.

TCI Voice is being done through Paradise Beachfront Productions, one of the only professional recording studios on island. It is owned by Lightbourne and caters to international recording artists who visit the island.

Lightbourne shared that for the talent show, they are working with the Dept of Culture, the Tourist Board, Flow TCI, Provo Travel, and David’s Karaoke Bar and Grill, who hosts the event weekly.

Prior to the first TCI Voice on April 6,  the team held a music workshop. Everyone on the island was able to attend and see firsthand what it is like in the music industry.

Lightbourne speaks fervidly about TCI Voice, and so far, the talent show seems to be running successfully. It will go on every Wednesday until the finale on Saturday, May 7. The show is live for viewing but is also aired on facebook at Jack Music TCI and on Instagram at Paradise Beachfront Productions.

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Search for Missing American Tourist Intensifies in Turks and Caicos

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U.S. Officials, Family Join Local Efforts as Disappearance Enters Ninth Day

By Deandrea Hamilton | Editor and Wilkie Arthur | Eagle Legal News

 

Turks and Caicos, July 4, 2025 – The United States Department of State has confirmed it is aware of the disappearance of American citizen Brian Tarrence in Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Embassy in Nassau is actively assisting in the ongoing investigation. Tarrence’s mother is now on the island, anxiously hoping for good news as the search for her son enters its ninth day.

Tarrence, 51, of New York, vanished on June 25 while vacationing with his wife in Providenciales. The couple was staying at the Inn at Grace Bay in a privately rented villa booked via Airbnb. CCTV footage reviewed by Eagle Legal News shows Tarrence walking away from the property around 3:00 a.m., alone and without signs of immediate distress. He has not been seen since.

The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is treating the case as high priority, and a search operation is underway in Grace Bay, with efforts expanding to The Bight and nearby districts. U.S. private investigator Carl DeFazio, hired by Tarrence’s family, is also on the ground and working alongside local authorities.

“We are tracking any activity—credit cards, digital devices—that could point us toward his location,” said DeFazio. “This is a coordinated effort, and we are committed to bringing Brian home.”

Sources close to the investigation say Tarrence may have been in a vulnerable state prior to his disappearance. His wife reported that he had relapsed into alcohol use and was displaying increasingly erratic behavior, including signs of paranoia and delusional speech. He reportedly believed people were outside their villa and made concerning remarks hours before he disappeared.

When his wife woke that morning, Tarrence—and his phone and wallet—were gone. The devices remain unreachable, and no transactions or confirmed sightings have been reported.

His wife continues to cooperate fully with police, while his mother, who recently arrived in TCI, has joined local and diplomatic efforts in hopes of a safe resolution.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest police station or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-8477.

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Race for the Conch Celebrates 15th Year

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Turks and Caicos, July 4, 2025 – Grace Bay once more delighted swimmers at the 15th annual Turks & Caicos “Race for the Conch” Eco-SeaSwim on June 28, 2025. The 2.4-mile, 1 mile, and 1/2-mile events drew 75 participants from the US, Canada, Barbados, and Mexico along with 35 TCI swimmers. Another 16 youngsters under 10 years and undertook part in the 100-meter swim.

Each race saw several outstanding open water swimmers competing for conch trophies in near perfect sea conditions. Other swimmers wanted to challenge themselves while enjoying the experience of gliding through the inviting turquoise waters. As before, the start and finish took place on the beach in front of Rickie’s Flamingo Cafe.

Local swimmers once more showed they could compete with the best. Sean Walters and Asher Soderquist (just 10 years old) picked up extraordinary 2nd and 3rd places respectively in the 1/2 Mile Men’s Division. Isaac Farley secured a splendid 3rd place in the 1-mile Men’s Division, while Lex Olerenshaw grabbed a superb 3rd place in the 2.4-mile Men’s Division. Several other TCI swimmers placed among the top 5 or 10 in each event.

Orrin Meyer from the US turned in a blistering time of 51 minutes, 15 seconds to win the 2.4-mile (Ironman distance) Men’s Division, just over 10 minutes faster than 2nd place male finisher—his father, Jay Meyer. The Women’s Division swimmers in the 2.4 mile were no less impressive with Samantha Peck from the US coming in 1st with a smashing time of 1 hour, 2 minutes, 31 seconds. She was followed by Nathalie and Carrie Trantner.

Ari Henson won the 1-mile Men’s Division followed by Ryan Williams. while the Women’s Division was won by Julie Henson followed by Mary Mackley and Mary-Anne Savage.

In the 1/2-mile Men’s Division Garry Mahon from Barbados took 1st, while Celia Wolf took 1st in the Women’s Division followed by Stella Lord and Cara Stein.  Race organizers Ben Stubenberg and Chloe Zimmermann could not be more pleased with the wonderful turnout, especially the increasing numbers of TCI swimmers in the race. Stubenberg said, “It is so gratifying to see how the race has progressed over the years. We love welcoming the new swimmers, as well as reconnecting with the swimmers who return year after year. No venue can match Grace Bay for open water swimming.” Zimmermann added, “We are thrilled at how the race generates so much enthusiasm among participants who all push themselves to go the distance and do their personal best.”

Unsurprisingly, “The Race for the Conch” is consistently listed as one of the top 100 open water swim races in the world by the World Open Water Swimming Association.

Stubenberg and Zimmermann take seriously the second part of the event name, “Eco-SeaSwim” by asking that all swimmers use reef-safe sunscreen devoid of harmful ingredients. To help ensure that request, organizers have partnered with one of the top reef-safe sunscreens in the world, Caribbean Sol, and made it available to all swimmers on the beach.

In addition, the organizers strive to use local services and products. These include conch medals for everyone carved by Stanford Handfield, conch trophies created by Lucie Stubbs, T shirt designs by Alizee Zimmermann, T shirt printing by Wise Solutions, and Proud of My Island goodie bags created by Sammy Kildegaard and Emiliano Otin.

Stubenberg and Zimmermann praised the tremendous support of 20 volunteers on the beach and in the water. “They are the backbone of the event’s success,” they stated. “We could not do this without them or our generous sponsors and providers.” They include: Experience Turks & Caicos, Grace Bay Club, Ocean Club, Projetech, Whole Health, Atlantic Aviation, Hartling Group, Surfside Ocean Academy, Silver Palm Charters, Finishing Touch, Natural Trade Distribution, Visittci.com, Gabriel Kulcsar, Big Blue Collective, Got-U-Covered, Jafooe Computer, DJ Dayhoh, Caribbean Bottling Company, Caicu Naniki Tours, and Marco Travel.

The organizers also want to give a big shout out to the TCI Department of Environmental and Coastal Resources, TCI Marine Police, Provo Ambulance Service, TCI Red Cross, Big Blue Collective, and the TCI Regiment for their essential safety support.

The “Race for the Conch” is a registered TCI nonprofit. Proceeds from the race going to Provo Children’s Home, Red Cross, TC Reef Fund, and Project Inclusion Turks & Caicos.

The next “Race for the Conch” will take place on Saturday June 27, 2026.

More information about the race can be found on their website www.ecoseaswim.com

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Spence Security Demands Gun Reform for Officers After Third Tragic Killing

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

Turks and Caicos, July 4, 2025 – Spence Security & Investigation Services Ltd is calling for immediate legislative change to allow trained private security officers to carry firearms and protective gear—following the third fatal shooting of one of its officers in recent months.

In a strongly worded statement, the company’s founder and chairman said the lack of legal protections and equipment is costing lives.  “Our officers are being slaughtered because they lack the tools, the legal authority, and the support to defend themselves,” he said.   “This is no longer tolerable.”

The slain officer, like many in the industry, was unarmed and not even allowed to wear a bulletproof vest under existing laws.   “He was forced to abandon his cover without the ability to defend himself.   That cost him his life,” the statement said.

The company is urging the government and Governor’s Office to amend the law to permit properly vetted and trained security personnel—many of whom are former police or military—to be armed.   The chairman emphasized that security officers serve on the same dangerous front lines as police yet face escalating threats without the same rights or resources.

He also criticized the lack of response from national leaders.  “There’s been no acknowledgement, no empathy, no call from government officials or the governor.  Our people are dying in silence, and the silence from those in power is unacceptable.”

Beyond firearms, the firm is also calling for legal access to non-lethal tools such as handcuffs, pepper spray, and protective equipment—currently restricted by law.

Spence Security’s statement ends with a stark warning: “Security lives matter. We protect this country’s banks, businesses, and people—but we are left vulnerable.  If we do not act now, more innocent lives will be lost.”

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