Stay focused and be patient knowing that there will be a lot of ups and downs in your life but ensure that God is in the midst of your decisions and always ask for his will to be done in your life. Such utterances might not be what you’d expect to hear from an artiste often described as raunchy but those are the words out of Celeste David’s mouth.
Popular for songs such as ‘back it up’, ‘My Sweetness’ and ‘Anthony’ etc this Berbice girl who broke onto the local music scene through the GT and T jingle competition is more than meets the musical eyes. Though she created quite a stir with her raunchy song and video that encouraged ‘all the ladies and shorties to back it up now’ and filling in for Alicia Keys when Baby Cham sang the ‘Ghetteo story’live on stage, she went missing but she’s by no means out of the music game.
Recently she told entertainer “I’ve been having some problems musically and personally but it’s all been sorted out.”
Her return to the Local music main stream spotlight began with her entry to the just concluded Groovy Soca monarch competition. Mainly to please her fans she entered with a hot song that encourages all to ‘watch how meh waist line rolls.’ But for some unknown reasons she did not find favor with the judges, much to her disappointment.
That aside, Celeste’s brief AWOL stint was not spent sitting idly by. Entertainer understands that the dark chocolate skinned woman has completed several ‘exciting’ recordings under the guidance of some new producers and vocal instructors in Barbados she also spent some time working on her image.
Explaining the new hairdo which saw her shaving the sides of her head, she said it was done in her quest for a new look with recommendations from a male hairstylist and she’s rocking the new do well.
While some might not know it both her parents are pastors and contrary to what some might believe she says “they do support me,” and this extended to her sister and one brother whom are all adults.
The one time worship leader and choir girl says ultimately her parents would like to see her back in church and that too is her desire sooner rather than later. While she sings music that is considered as worldly he confesses that her favorite song remains “fill my cup Lord… fill it up and make me whole.”
The diva in the making is influenced by divas the likes of Mariah Carey, Lauren hill and Whitney Houston said she always wanted to get involved in music generally since age 12. Speaking of the local music industry she says thus far she has gained much recognition locally and ever growing fan base.
Personally: I am taken by a regular Guyanese guy who is older than I am… I wouldn’t call it love as yet because our relationship just started but I’m really enjoying the stage that it is at presently.”
Her message to teen age girls who are thinking of having a boy friend while at school is “limit your friendship and closeness with boys and focus on school not sexual relations during your teen years.” Look out for David as she continues her musical quest to one day hit the international music mainstream with her sights set on copping a Grammy for Guyana.
By Mondale Smith
Born in Georgetown on May 20, Raymond Hamilton (Young D.O.C) grew up in Gordon Street Kitty then he migrated to the US in April of 1998 and has made the USA his home. There he started pursuing music in 2000 and has since been writing, recording and appearing on shows around the DMV (DC, Maryland, and VA). Like most artistes he has always dreamed of making it in the music big leagues because according to him “it inspires me to do positive things with life”. Even as he earns a living on the daily grind at one of the Foot Locker Stores in the USA he often thinks of life back home in ‘good old Guyana.’ “I would like to do a lot for my home country, because I know the younger generation listen and look up to musician in the music industry today and that in itself is motivation for my music”. Boasting more than ten years of officially being a singer/ song writer he is one to watch as a budding artiste. His inspiration he gets from the now dead 2pac Shakur and his grandparents. With his eyes on the prize to become a mainstream international artiste he started recording and writing because he knew it was something that he always loved and to him he’s at that point were he’s ready to drop a few albums.
In the history Groovy Soca singing on the local shores there has not been many gospel based songs entering competitions but through Dallas Forte this is about to change. One of 28 singers who made the shortlist to compete in the inaugural event he believes that he’s got the right arrangement and message to win the inaugural Banks Groovy Soca Monarch. The 26-year-old says “My song (Unspeakable Joy) is actually my personal testimony of where I used to be and where I am now through God’s grace”. He opines that many people can identify with his storyline and added that “the hook will certainly have people grooving in a positive direction.” Dallas who has been singing since age 9 in the West Ruimveldt Boys Choir is known in some circles as the guy with some suave pipes who can dish almost any RnB or soulful tune with little effort. However, he’s since become a ‘church boy’ who serves as a worship leader in his local church and is pinning his public votes on and support on his fellow Christian brethren as well as those who like positive vibes. Todate the PC Graduate he has written and recorded several songs such as “Serve, Trust, Love” a pop worship song making circulation in Barbados, the USA and Trinidad.
A mother of three (twins included) Candace Fields holds a degree in Communication and has functioned as a media personality who reported on Presidential matters, the Diary for several years. She’s also a former director at GCCI but above those things while she’s focused on academia she also has a first love to which she has returned… Music! Blessed with enviable vocals in 1993 she came to brief prominence as the little Saint Stanislaus girl with the dynamic voice that hit the highest octaves. She belted out covers from Celine Dion to Whitney Houston note for note and copped the Star Search best female title and the first place purse of $30,000. She still holds that title as there has not been another competition. That year Queens College student Osea Parris placed second while Mondale Smith copped the title of best Hip Hop singer in the same competition.
Guyanese, especially those with a penchant for Indian theatre, will be enthralled with the latest addition to entertainment. The term, “Gana Bhajana” was fondly used in the past by Guyanese when trying to explain certain Indian shows that were forthcoming. Even some Indian movies, given their routine storyline, were in some way referred to as “Gana Bhajana”.
“I’m a hardworking individual who is straight up and hate negative and false people,” Says Guyanese model and Singer Edmon Johnson age 32. The Former Guyana Prison services rank now resides in Trinidad and has won several model and singing competitions in the Twin Island Republic and has also strutted his stuff for events such as Guyana fashion weekend and the Fashion Week Trinidad 2010.
Three albums and counting
His album releases to date include Reloaded, Fully Loaded and OutBreak 2 while his line-up of videos include True Guyanese, To The Girls, Serious Thing (Remix), Serious Thing, My Gal and Be My Girlfriend.
We’ve seen her in Steve’s Jewellery, and countless GT and T television advertisements as a flirtatious beauty and she’s proven to be a real diva on the local catwalks for major shows such as Guyana Fashion Weekend and The Accolade Genesis fashion rhythm. Now she’s on to the next one in search of her place in the local music industry as fierce singer looking for a spot on the international music circuit.
The little girl with a big voice who brought down the National Cultural Center several years ago with Whitney Houston’s ‘I’ll Always Love you’ in record pitch is set to have her voice heard musically again. Lisa Punch offering an update on what has been unfolding said “music wise I am working with Brutal Recording studios and I have been doing my music.” In fact she has a new single out called ‘secret admirer’ and soon the video will be out for that song. Since Star Guyana she says that she’s been focused on school “because without an education I can’t go nowhere in terms of being successful.” She’s still in school and is also doing music. Lisa is advising persons who supported her at star Guyana and all other music enthusiasts to “look out for me because I am coming at u with a big PUNCH soon.” Aside from being focused on education and music Lisa recently began hosting the Hard Vibes television talk show on Btv2. That show thus far has been focused on girl talk regarding issues that effect and affect women but it is not limited to women.
Having not performed in Guyana for more than a year, Canada based Guyanese artiste Matussala Mandela Manning is anticipating “great things” to unfold for artistes as a spin off from the inaugural Guyana Musical Summer Splash and the Guyana Artistic Music Awards. They are slated for staging at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on April 24 and the National Cultural Center on April 25.