DANCEHALL NICE AGAIN

Certain elements in the media landscape have been touting a new crop of girls such as Alaine, Tami Chynn, Jovi as the next big thing to come out of Jamaica. Concerned interests within the industry feel that there is a deliberate strategy to dark-skinned women who don’t have certain Caucasian features which might appeal to the US marketplace.

“I would be foolish to say that it (colour) did not play a part in the promotion and packaging of an artiste, but I cannot attribute the success of our music acts to what they look like. Just look at Shabba, he was a phenomenon in the urban market, when you turn on your TV and watch Saturday Night Live and they are making Shabba jokes, that is great because they only do that when you matter,” she said.

Cherine has been working with industry giants such as David Norland (Madonna, Janet Jackson, Dallas Austin), JeekyMan (Lil Kim), as well as prominent Jamaican producers such as Steven “Lenky” Marsden (Sean Paul), Christopher Birch (Shaggy)., and she has forged a creative partnership with reggae legend Sly Dunbar who believes that Cherine “is the real deal”.

“She is a truly strong vocalist on hard core reggae riddims with the ability and potential to surpass Jamaican audiences to reach the masses,” he said.

Cherine is moving ahead with her career at warp speed, learning at each step of the way.

“A lot of good stuff happened this year, I was on Reggae Sumfest opening for Sly and Robbie, I did Reggae on the River, Sting Miami, and got a good review from the Miami Herald, it’s been real good,” she said..

She has completed between 12 and 16 tracks for her debut album.

“It is not just dancehall, there is a one-drop on it, I deal with real issue, socio-political commentaries. On one of my favourite songs, ‘How We Living’. I give my take on Nannyville, striking a contrast between the community then and now. The album will have a Caribbean flavour,” she said..

She has been working with producers like Lenky Marsden on a cut called ‘Jealous’, and she has done collaborations with Anthony B (’So Sexy’), and with Chuck Fender on ‘Coming Over Tonight’. A video for the latter was shot by Kimala Bennett recently.

Cherine is an out-and-out triple threat: singer, songwriter and acclaimed Jamaican actress, having starred in two of Jamaica’s most successful films, Dancehall Queen (1997) and One Love ((2003).

“I’ve got scripts but none of them are stretching me from ‘One Love’, so right now, it is just the music. I am committed to making good music. It may not be hot and hip, but it will stand the test of time, that’s my benchmark for Cherine, everything else is an accessory,” she said,

“We’re working right now, not getting caught up in the debate about who is blowing up. I just want to make music that will stand the test of time,” she said.

We hear you, girl. We hear you.