Nominated for Best New Comer Artiste of the Year
Happy and sad situations, grateful times, being with family and friends and using her God given talents Jessica Ann Xavier draws inspiration from life itself.
Not just yet as popular on the local music circuit, her name is certainly one to look for in Guyana’s music industry in the not too distant future. In fact she is one of the Nominees of the 2009 Accolade Music Awards of Guyana in the ‘New Artiste of the Year’ category up against Young Fyah, Lisa Punch, Cleon Cadogan, Lil J, Typheon, and Mark Batson. For this she is elated and is hoping that the best person wins.
Jessica hopes someday to positively affect as many people with her music or simply “make them feel like dancing away their stresses.”
Her strong belief is that music influences moods and attitudes and stirs emotion. As such musically she’s working to create a different vibe and told Weekend Entertainer that she is currently working on “a really nice dance song”.
Physically and vocally gifted, Jessica is currently the Managing Director of J.A.X Sales Executives and has been singing “forever”.
“Ever since I was two years old I’ve been hogging microphones at my uncle Raymond’s house…I even have a recording of me with my little husky voice, singing how much is that doggy in the window,” she reflected.
With a to die for smile and sheepish but assertive persona, recalled her first recording in her uncle’s dining room at just 2 years old. “It still is amazing to hear my voice then and now.” To her it sounded like a little boy with a husky voice trying to sing.
Professional, about two years ago she was given the opportunity to record with Kingdom Friends Record Productions, under the direction of Danley Major.
As humble as could be, with a heart of gold, the lover of charitable causes has mainly been singing for charities such as Rotary Events, Mother’s Union and World Aids day programmes.
On the entertainment circuit, she has also done opening acts for the Peace Fest concert which featured Jah Cure and others as well as the Best of Both World with Duane Stephenson, Freddy McGregor and Tarrus Riley all of whom were blown away by her urbane vocals and lyrically conscious vibes.
A writer too, she penned ‘Don’t Cry’ after a family member lost a loved one. That song tells the story of a person loosing someone dear to them and the comforting words of their friends and family, just saying ‘Don’t Cry…dry the Tears from your eyes… everything is going to be ok.”
That song was released in March of this year in time for the Peace Fest.
She’s currently working on a couple more tracks, but confessed that she’s “trying to take things a bit slowly so as to ensure a positive outcome and not anything rushed.”
Planning for long term her intention is to release an album and has also quietly done some work in Jamaica.
The local music industry
“Guyana is a multi racial country bursting with talent that can impact the world eventually and I personally believe that we have come a significant way in recognizing our creative talents in music.”
From her experiences she is convinced that the nation has a host of young artistes with voices still unheard and she says “we need more facilities to enhance the musical offerings in Guyana and we would show the rest of the world how much we have to offer.” This she believes would also motivate young people to take music serious as career choice.
Vocal training, Stage Prepping, Interview training are among the facilities that she believes are needed to enhance music and musicians in Guyana.
Speaking sincerely, she expressed the belief that “Guyanese artistes are underrated and aren’t given the opportunities they deserve to come out from hiding from the rest of the world. But we have made significant strides in trying to develop the music industry and it is well recognized and I do believe that in the coming years we can only see more improvement.”
She says “to start my musical career my major inspiration was Navada Fernandes. I owe my motivation and inspiration to sing to her and my uncle Raymond as well, who ever since I was a child, made me fall in love with music and inspired and motivated me to keep singing and writing.” But all in all she says LIFE is her biggest inspiration. “Everything about it…everything there is to be grateful about it…it’s my daily dose of inspiration.”