Courtney A. Noel

Courtney Andrew Noel celebrates 30 years in the music industry. He is an entertainer whose land of birth is Guyana, South America. 

Courtney’s artistic foundation is linked to his late grandparents and mother who played instruments. His grandmother, Evelyn Noel played the harmonica, his grandfather, Albert Theodore Noel, aka AT, played fiddle, and his mother, Esmee played the piano. As a child, Courtney enjoyed fun activities with his siblings, and this included the impersonation of the Jackson Five. Their make-belief Jackson Five, sibling group was led by one of his elder sisters, Cheryl; and Courtney assumed the role of the youngest Jackson, Michael.   

While living in Guyana, Courtney’s educational journey began at St. Margaret’s Primary School where he was a part of a dance group that participated in Guyana Music Festival. Following attendance at St. Margaret’s Primary School, he received his high school education at St. Stanislaus College, and then Queen’s College, the school from which he graduated. Although he attended Queens College for a short period, he was exposed to music through one of his teachers, Avis Joseph. He performed his first solo as a singer with the Queen’s College Combo, after which he graduated and migrated to the United States, where he lived until 2001. It is noted that in 1990, while in the United States, Courtney wrote and recorded his first song, X Marks the Spot, a tribute to the renowned Malcolm X. This set the foundation for songwriting of a few hundred songs that he has written to date. 

Due to the success of two songs: Amadou in 1999, and Arrowhead: I Love my Golden Arrowhead in 2000, in 2001, Courtney decided to remigrate to Guyana where he lived until 2006. In 2001 though, Arrowhead was released in time for Mashramani in Guyana. Around the same time, Courtney was involved in making commercials for United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); Pan American Health Organization (PAHO); Western Union; Beharry & Company, Limited; El Dorado Rum for Demerara Distillers Limited; and I-CEE soft drinks for Banks DIH Limited. In making commercials for Banks DIH Limited, Courtney worked closely with John Fernandes, to whom Courtney credits for allowing him the opportunity to learn about directing and producing commercials and videos. Courtney was also featured in commercials for establishments such as Courts (a furniture, appliance and electrical store) and Nigel’s Supermarket in Guyana. 

  In 2006, Courtney returned to the United States and to the United Nations (UN), as he had previously worked with the UN in 1991. Since his return, he has been artistically and culturally involved by performing and/or planning the Annual Staff Day Talent Show. This is an event where staff members from various countries around the world showcase their talent at the UN. Courtney has also had the opportunity to host events in Guyana on behalf of UNICEF, where he advised youths about the entertainment industry and encouraged their talent. He saw this as a way of giving back to his community.

In 2007, Courtney began screenwriting, directing and producing his own music videos. His first screenplay was Similar Differences. Beginning in 2017, he directed and produced his first of four music videos. The first was done for the song, Chutney Gal, on which he collaborated with Guyanese iconic singer, Terry Gajraj.    

In May of 2018, Courtney realized his lifelong dream of stepping before the camera as an actor. He can be seen in the Netflix film entitled, See You Yesterday, where he plays a small role as the Guyanese dominoes player Kingsley. This film is co-written and directed by Stefon Bristol of Guyanese heritage and is executively produced by Oscar-winning writer and director, Spike Lee. In 2019, Courtney was recognized by the Guyana Cultural Association of New York Inc. and received an award for his continued work in the preservation of Guyanese culture.