Clive Warren spreads the word
A CHRISTIAN since childhood, Clive Warren learned from early that spreading the gospel comes in different forms. In his case, he’s been a singer for the past 24 years, chaplain with the Ministry of Health, and mentor to youth in some of Jamaica’s toughest communities.
When songwriter Byron Malcolm approached him recently to perform one of his compositions, the lyric to And I Will Run to You instantly moved him.
“I like the fact that it gives credence to the Holy Spirit and God, and that all of us should run to Him for all that He has done,” said Warren.
Released in late November, And I Will Run to You is produced by Malcolm.
Although they were familiar with each other’s work, it is the first time Warren and Malcolm collaborated. From Christiana, Manchester, Warren is strongly influenced by contemporary gospel acts like The Commission whose members include Fred Hammond and Marvin Sapp.
He began recording in 1998 with his first released song being God Will Never Put More on You Than You Can Bear. That year, Warren entered the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s National Gospel Song Competition with I Believe in You.
Six years later, he won the contest with Generation. Encore, Warren’s sole album, was released in 2013.
The reverence expressed in And I Will Run to You is reflected in Warren’s outreach programmes which included a 10-year presence in the troubled St James community of Flanker. His ‘Take Back This Generation For Christ’ initiative was aimed at discouraging youth from a life of crime.
