If you’re talking Caribbean Gospel Music nowadays, you’re certain of two things: the name Samuel Medas is bound to come up, and you’ll realize that he is certainly no fly-by-night sensation. A quick punch of his name in YouTube's search bar, and you’ll soon realize that this 29 year old Guyanese writer, singer, musician, producer (and a other portfolios too numerous to mention) has been consistently putting out music of substance for at least seven years - and his story is one like King David’s: most of your life you’ve been in the background making melody for the Lord and suddenly today you’re blessing nations.
Born in 1988 to two very humble parents Charles and Peggy who shortly after became pastors, people around him knew from the get-go that he was earmarked for something bigger than his country-boy upbringing and imagination could dream up. At his birth there were complications, the kind that only prayers could have fixed. By age five he was playing the piano - a gift that he can only credit to the Holy Spirit. By age ten, he had found out that along with his skillful hands, he had a beautiful voice; very rough and untrained; but beautiful non the less. He’s spent all his childhood days in church so the things of the Lord were nothing strange to him. He immersed himself in music. Especially reggae and worship, regardless of whether it came from the sound systems blasting around his childhood village Uitvlugt, or whether it came from right in his house. He had no idea that one day that passion would take full form.
Then came the teenage years of peer pressure and a desire so bad to fit in that it created a tsunami of turmoil Samuel’s heart. At age thirteen and fourteen, your identity is still very much tied to your parents, especially when you’re the kid of a preacher, and this made it especially hard for Samuel to fit in, rolling with the bad boys at school, and then coming home to playing the saint. He inwardly rebelled and despised anything to do with church or God, all the while still functioning as musician in church.
That is, until one day when a CBR racing motor cycle, trying to make a steep turn on an asphalt road, collided with his skinny frame and slammed him into someone's 6ft solid concrete fence. Miraculously he walked away from that accident with only scar on his knee. If nobody else knew it, he knew it - that he should have been dead, and if not dead, badly wounded - that something bigger than him was at play that day, showing him that his life didn’t belong to him. As a matter of fact he knew that it was the hand of the Lord that he’d been running from all along. That was the beginning of his sincere pursuit of Christ. Everything before that had been mere interest and church affiliation, but this was real.
The following year he released his first duo-single called “Praise You” with his cousin Allan Petty, which was a big accomplishment by any measurement for two country boys. They later called themselves Cross Carriers and were joined by an equally anointed songstress, Rochelle Benn. For several years after that, they took the gospel of Christ to their generation with a passion.
But Samuel always felt that there was more inside of him that needed to be birthed, not with the group, but as a solo artist. Yet again he found his mind in turmoil. But through mentorship and perseverance, in late 2012 and in front of a very scattered audience, he released his debut solo album in late 2012 called “Heart to Heart”. Little did he know that God would use that step of faith as a launching pad to catapult him to the nations. By June of the next year, he had stood on every major stage in Guyana and already began to minister throughout the Caribbean, North America and even British territories. Bear in mind, Guyana had been known for many things, but music was never one of them. He was like an enigma.
In 2014 Samuel one again released sophomore solo album “This Peculiar Journey” which once again turned heads. By then he had quit his Literature and Linguistic studies at university to pursue music. He knew he couldn’t do both and many couldn’t understand his passion. Everyone knew that there was no future in music for artists in Guyana. But Samuel wasn’t the least bit phased. And God began to open doors. The anointing on his life and voice was undeniable whenever he took that mic or sat behind the keys to minister. He didn’t look like your regular minister, but you couldn’t help but bless God for his ministry.
In 2015, Samuel Medas, whose name had begun to really turn heads, once again released a solo album titled Ink of Intimacy, this time featuring collaborations with major names in Caribbean Gospel music like Positive, Dj Nicholas, Sherwin Gardener, Jermaine Edwards, and John Yarde. It was a huge success and brought him much acclamation. And it was in the height of that musical success that he decided to take a break from personal music for a year and instead push the other young, talented singers and musicians around him that had helped him to get where he was. “The Reveal” was released in December of 2016 and that too was a success.
But it was in may of 2017 that God decided to bring Samuel Medas to the forefront. He released a reggae single called “Royalty” which swept through the Caribbean like wildfire and even spread to North America. It was a song, just like most of the others - birthed from a freestyle session, but the message of identity in Christ is what resonated with the broken, and the fatherless, and the backslidden and those who desired restoration. Everywhere you turn on social media there was a post about the song, or a homemade video of children singing “My Daddy is the king so I am Royalty”. Even the secular radio stations celebrated it.
It was no surprise then that in December of 2017, when Samuel released his fourth Album “Royalty” that thousands came out to the launch. Gospel Reggae Generals Lieutenant Stitchie, and DJ Nicholas flew in just to be a part of the experience. Trinidadian and Barbadian Gospel Sensations Jaron Nurse, Blessed Messenger and John Yarde flew in to be a part too. Fans from as far as the USA flew in to be a part. The presence of God at the event validated that it was indeed the dawning of something new, way bigger than Samuel Medas, but it was birthed through him.
Now him, his musicians and his wife of two years, Rhonda, are flying to nations, doing what they love and what they’re called to do, ministering and watching God transform lives through music and worship. If there’s a concert featuring Samuel Medas near you, don’t miss it. Go. Experience what God can and will do with humble, obedient vessels.
