“I
feel it’s a blessing,” said Zoelah retracing
her steps in the music industry. The 22-year-old hails from
Campden Park, a suburb of the capital that is also home
to former Vincy Soca Monarch and OECS Soca Monarch Bomani.
She was just 17 when she began touring as a frontline vocalist
with Signal. After contributing her crystal vocals to the
mix for nearly two years, Zoelah set out on her own to release
'In and Out' for Vincy Mas 2003.
Next
she would move to Tortola where she continued to sing. Zoelah
returned to St. Vincent with a bang in 2006. Kicking Dust
earned her a place in the Soca Monarch Finals. Dressed in
white, and dancing up storm, no one could deny this was
a talent to watch.
“In
S.V.G. Zoelah is number one and number two,” said
manager Alex Barnwell. Boyde’s second carnival release
'Fly
Away' perks the ears immediately due to a chorus
line reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson’s Since You’ve
Been Gone. But make no mistake, Zoelah’s sound is
completely fresh.
“I
want to keep soca music cultural. When I hear a riddim,
I start thinking about lyrics and melodies and real Caribbean
party vibes,” said Zoelah. That was her writing process
for 'Go
Down Low'. Add top soca arranger/producer,
Kubiyashiof Non-Fiction Recordings to the Callaloo and you’ve
got yourself a hit. The rest of the recipe fell into place
thanks to guitarist Zan George, whose rock inspired accents
give the song its gritty edge.
“She
almost sounds like a young Destra,” said DJ Chief,
a Toronto-based club disk jockey co-host of the World Wide
Wake Up Show on 89.5 FM. At this stage, only a handful of
DJ’s outside the Caribbean have Zoelah’s music
in their bag of tricks. However, her voice continues to
bellow over the airwaves and in the dancehalls.
“[It]
is everywhere. It’s in Canada. It’s in England.
So after July I hope to be very busy travelling outside
of St. Vincent,” said Zoelah. The international response
indicates she may be doing just that.
For
more information on Zoelah visit www.myspace.com/zoelah.
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