Editorial | The Nigy Boy story

In the dancehall world, the name Nigy Boy is celebrated by fans for his trendy hit Continent. But Nigy Boy, born Nigel Hector in Montego Bay, deserves to be celebrated for many other reasons.

A video of the visually impaired singer, robed in red, being assisted across the stage to collect his degree in history and political science from New York’s Stonybrook University, has gone viral, giving a glimpse at a determined young man making his way against all odds.

In this ever-increasingly dark and desolate world, we are determined in this space to find the small lights that glow ever so brightly, in order to inspire those who are shrouded by doubt and despair. The school system appears to be urgently in need of these inspirational examples. The country at large is clamouring for these points of light.

What else is there about the 23 year-old Nigy Boy that makes him deserving of our attention? We learned that his hit song Continent, which has scored more than 11 million views on YouTube, is about paying homage to women, something that is anathema to dancehall. The upbeat music that is dancehall often masks the disrespect meted out to women, and criticisms are ignored.

From all accounts, Nigy Boy is a fighter, he has been doing that since birth. A premature baby, given up for dead, he has thrived and risen to unimaginable heights in the entertainment business.

He related his incredible story … “while I was about to be carried off to the morgue, I cried out and was rescued post-haste. I was incubated for three months and the doctors still had their doubts. They thought I wasn’t going to make it.”

So far, so good. The entertainer comes from a musical family, although not well-known. His interest in music was developed as a student at the Salvation Army School for the Blind where he was a soloist for his choir while participating in TVJ’s All together Sing and other competitions organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC). He is also technically competent, as he manages his TikTok and Instagram accounts largely through voice commands on his phone.

One of the take-aways from Nigy Boy’s story is how ill-equipped our educational system is to deal with illnesses such as blindness. While attending a school in Montego Bay, Nigy Boy recounted that the teachers used construction paper and applied sand and glue to make letters and numbers so that he could keep up with the lessons being taught. These valiant teachers offered their best, which was, sadly, not good enough for people like Nigy Boy.

It was at the Salvation Army School for the Blind, that he mastered Braille and honed his skills as a soloist. He also gained a lot of self-confidence at this school, he told interviewers. In fact, Nigy Boy said he had a “normal childhood”.

Given that the Salvation Army school only has space for about 120 students, he was fortunate to have landed there. How many Nigy Boys and girls are out there, talented but held back because of a lack of opportunities?

The Salvation Army is the only institution in Jamaica that sees to the education of blind and visually impaired students. A strong case could be made that this facility, which was established in 1927, ought to be expanded to provide opportunities for others in rural Jamaica who may be struggling visually.

Blindness has not quelled the vision of Nigy Boy, and he is marching steadily towards his ambition of becoming an attorney-at-law. Blindness does not mean hopelessness.