by Mindy Luquiana Chicot
From the very first note, her music entrances you and touches you in a way that can only be described as spellbinding. Her hit single ‘Addict,’ like all the rest of her tunes exude a kind of musical chemistry that certainly makes you addicted to her songs.
Driven by a burning desire to create music since she was a child, this passion continues to burn like a fire in her belly.
Christine Charlemagne, better known in entertainment circles as Chrycee, describes herself as a singer/songwriter, aspiring musician and a lover of life. She is very passionate about her craft.
Her father was a DJ, so growing up she was constantly surrounded by music. Armed with a TV remote control which she used as a makeshift mic, she would imitate various artistes. Despite her obvious talent and passion for music, however, she couldn’t muster the courage to perform outside of her home.
It wasn’t until she was 15 that Chrycee decided to start singing in church. In 2008 she decided to take it to the next level and made the crossover unto the national stage.
‘Handle It’ was her first single, a catchy tune with a soca flavour. Though it was a huge success, she decided to change her genre and do something that felt more natural to her. Since then she has become known for her RnB and Soul hits.
Chrycee admits the journey has been a bit challenging but at the same time, exciting. To date she has recorded seven singles, none of which would have been possible were it not for her sheer determination. She has also found the journey to be quite rewarding, citing as an example the joy she experienced on moving from hearing her first tune on radio to performing on stage, both locally and regionally.
Chrycee juggles between a full-time job as a business development officer, a part-time student of the University of the West Indies and her music career. When asked how she copes with all three, she said:
“I moonlight as a business development officer and student but really, the artiste is who I really am.”
Understandably, managing all three aspects of her life has been really difficult. However, it is a sacrifice that Chrycee is willing to make as she continues working to meet and exceed the expectations of her colleagues and fans. She’s a firm believer of giving all or nothing, and does precisely that; she gives one hundred percent to her job daily, as well as to her studies and especially to her music.
Chrycee admits that she often forfeits sleep and personal time to fulfil her dreams. However, she feels most alive when she’s singing and producing music and won’t give it up for anything. Doing what she loves is the primary motivation and she feels the need to keep pushing forward.
In 2013 Chrycee registered ‘Chrycee Musique’, her own company which she started as an avenue for turning her song-writing and performances into a professional career. Her submissions to regional and international festivals are made under the business name. She believes this approach adds a greater level of professionalism to the ventures she undertakes. Music should be treated as a profession and not a mere hobby, she maintains. Her aim is to grow the business to the point where it could provide services to other artistes and partner with other songwriters.
Notably, 2013 was a remarkable year for Chrycee. Not only was she able to register her business, she also got the opportunity to perform at the St. Lucia National Day Celebration in French Guiana. She put together a dynamic band of musicians named ‘Soleil Band’. She considers this as one of her major accomplishments.
Chrycee submitted a proposal to the organisers of the Tobago Jazz Festival Committee in a bid to win a contract to perform at the event. Within three weeks Chrycee received a positive response. However, she was faced with the challenge of meeting the travel expenses for both her and the band.
Being a proactive person, she immediately submitted proposals to local companies seeking funding assistance for the trip. Digicel agreed to sponsor both Chrycee and her band and as a result they were able to perform at the Tobago Jazz Experience: Beach Jazz Fiesta in April 2014, as the opening act for Keyshia Cole and Earth Wind and Fire. They performed before a crowd of approximately seven thousand, the largest audience Chrycee has ever entertained. The group performed a twenty-five minute set comprised of mainly originals and one cover. Chrycee and Soleil Band’s journey to Tobago was also sponsored by Hobie, First Citizens and Voyager.
Chrycee described the experience as ‘fantastic. Nevertheless, she said it was quite a challenge performing before of a crowd of this magnitude, none of whom she assumed knew any of her songs.
“It was a humbling experience looking out into the crowd and seeing their reaction to my music. They genuinely seemed to love the music even if they were not familiar with it and I got a few thumbs up and waves while I performed.” It proved to be even more rewarding for her when a couple from the event asked her to perform at their wedding.
In May this year, Chrycee and Soleil Band delivered two more memorable performances at St. Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival at Tea Time Jazz and St Lucia Jamz (Jazz on the Grill).
Chrycee has full creative control when designing her sets. Each song tells a story and with every performance she aims to provide her audience with an emotive and satisfying experience. This distinguishes her performances from that of most other artistes.
One of her goals as a recording artiste is to perform regularly outside of Saint Lucia. Marketing is another of her key objectives and one she intends to continue working on. She views successful marketing as a doorway to success and plans to use her website and all other available options to promote her music. Meanwhile she is focussed on honing her creative skills and mastering her craft.
Although hard to believe, Chrycee says she is quite boring off stage. In her leisure time she goes to the movies, watches television which includes cartoons and catches up on some much-needed sleep. Occasionally, she visits the spa for some quality ‘me time’.
Dazzle wishes Chrycee all the best with her musical career and we look forward to seeing her on the stage again singing her heart out!
You can catch up with Chrycee on her Website: www.chryceemusique.com, Instagram: @chryceemusique; Twitter: @chrycee or Facebook: www.facebook.com/chrycee
Credits:
Clothing by: Twice As Nice Boutique Brazil Street, Castries
Make-up: Noreen Deterville
Hair: Leslian Isaac
