The Cultural Development Foundation (CDF) said it is concerned and stands in solidarity with the family of Blaise Claudio Pascal, a “highly regarded” international tenor suffering from critical health issues.

In a release the CDF described Pascal as a talented musician with a passionate love for his country . The musician was said to have spent significant time trying to better the nation’s arts standard.

“…Having begun to carve out a niche for himself as a lyrical tenor performing across the major metropolis of the globe, Pascal had returned home to be able to give off his time and training to raise the standard of the Arts in Saint Lucia. His work with the Just Us Choir and with numerous other young people rendered him more than a famous name, but someone who our youth could see and touch in their midst,” the release said.

“Keen on vocal pedagogy and performance, Pascal had begun to conduct master classes to assist aspiring singers in their vocal pursuits, a work which has so far also taken him to Antigua and St. Croix USVI where he also performed,” the release further said.

Pascal, according to the release, has significant projects in the pipeline all aimed at further advancing the nation’s art competence. These include the commencement of a vocal program of studies through the Caribbean Development Program “which he saw as significant to raising interest and appreciation in the region for classical vocal music,” the release said.

“The Cultural Development Foundation therefore calls on the artistic community and indeed the nation to remember our beloved international tenor in prayer for his recovery and return to the work on the island that he loves so well,” the release said.