From Dominica to the World
Humble Beginnings
There are some things in life you don’t really choose. They choose you. For me, music was one of those things. Regardless of what else I choose to do, music always seems to take center stage.
I was born on the Nature Island of the Caribbean, however as far as I can remember, music was always somewhere around me. From my uncle playing his guitar and my brother practicing, to the neighbor blasting some Charlie Chaplin, music was always ringing in my ears.
Music wasn’t something I woke up one day and decided I wanted to become a part of. It was already there, pulling at my heart strings. Before I understood what music could become, I understood how it made me feel. That great feeling never really left me alone.
Growing up in Dominica does something to you. We are surrounded by mountains with waterfalls, pristine rivers and beautiful beaches. Every community has a culture and a rhythm all its own. Even if you leave the island, the island doesn’t leave you at all. I carry this nature with me everywhere I go. If you listen carefully, you hear it in the way I think, the way I tell stories and most definitely, in the way I make music.
Growing Up With Music in My Veins
I’ve always been more interested in what is driving the energy in the music more than just what is beating through the speakers.
Having a mom who is a primary school teacher, reading and writing came naturally. However, in addition to being fully in tune with the creative process, I sing, write my own songs along with playing the rhythm guitar and the bass guitar. Overstanding how all these pieces fit together within me is beyond exciting.
To me, a song is not just words sitting on top of a riddim. There must be a conversation happening between the rhythm, the melody, the drum and the bass. Every instrument helps to bring the story to life. When everything comes together just right, we feel it.
This is one of the most appealing parts to me. Reggae music gave me a medium to create my own language. One that made complete sense to me. It allowed me to talk about my life experience. It provided an opportunity to tell stories about love, reality, growth and things I see happening around me.
I could be as raw and real as I wanted be without having to pretty up anything. Sometimes the message is deep and sometimes it is simple and straightforward. At times it is about giving life to a tough riddim that gives every reason to move.
That’s all part of the journey.