Nigy Boy delivered more than a spellbinding performance at the 10th Annual Soca & Culture Festival for the more than 4,000 patrons at the Civic Center in Belize last Friday, where he performed alongside Mr. Vegas and Byron Lee & The Frontliners with Oscar B, Lima and Leon Coldero.

The New York-based visually-impaired artist made a surprise visit to Stella Maris, a 66-year-old special needs, government-run institution in Belize, where he delivered a peep talk and an impromptu performance for students and staff at the institution.

Principal Francella Cantun greets Nigy Boy while visiting Stella Maris in Belize.Photo by Sasha Eiley

Nigy was so inspired by his visit to the school that, during his performance at the Soca & Culture Festival, he made a monetary donation to festival co-founder Omar Arzu for the institution.

“I was moved to make the monetary donation after visiting the school and just getting a chance to meet with the students, especially a visually impaired student that I had a moving conversation with,” Nigy Boy told Caribbean Life.

Students at Stella Maria school in Belize during Nigy Boy’s recent visit.Photo by Sasha Eiley

“Stella Maris is the only school in the country that is self-contained and has only students with special needs attending,” said Principal Francella Cantun. “We have students with visual impairment, speech impediments, down’s syndrome, autism, intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, just to name a few.

“We truly appreciate Nigy’s kind gesture and his warm heart that he has for children with special needs,” Cantun added. “I want him to know that our students are inspired by him being legally blind and becoming so popular and famous. They now know that they can be like him, and are now motivated to be the best version of themselves.”

Soca & Culture Fest co-founder Arzu, who hand delivered the monetary donation to principal Cantun three days later, in a YouTube video interview with Love FM, Belize said, “There are always people out there who say these artists come to our country and all they do is take away, take away.

“I beg to differ because I have experienced some artists (like Nigy Boy) that give back,” he added.