Jamelody, you're Trinidadian, not Jamaican. Musically speaking Trinidad & Tobago are known for their soca and calypso music, so is it easy being a reggae artist there?
Jamelody:
"Trinidad is just a place like anywhere else in the world, so apart from the big soca scene, we've also got hip hop artists and I came out of the R&B scene myself."

How do you compose your tunes? Do you play an instrument?
Jamelody:
"Usually I just head to the studio and start improvising on the keyboard until I've found what I'm looking for. So, yes, I play a little keyboard, but not to the extent I would play it live on stage."

At one stage you decided to fly over to Jamaica. What were you hoping to accomplish there?
Jamelody:
"I decided to go over there when I heard there was an opportunity to voice for Bobby Digital, whom I consider to be a legendary reggae producer. This man produced people like Garnet Silk, Sizzla, Shabba Ranks and Shaggy and when he heard my voice, we immediately connected."

Would you say Trinidad is very different from Jamaica or are they very similar?
Jamelody:
"Because I do most of my recording work in Jamaica, I'm over there a lot and I've noticed there are far more similarities than differences, which is to be expected really as they are both Caribbean islands with similar populations."

Surprisingly enough, you discovered reggae music through Rastafari, when it's often the other way around.
Jamelody:
"I was raised a Christian and a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. At that time, I was a member of a local band called Brothers With Voices (local Trinidadian a cappella group doing mostly covers of artists like Boyz II Men, Brian McNight, Take 6, Temptations and so on, red.). We were mocking around on the school yard one day, just rehearsing our voices and singing together, when this girl (Nera Griffith, red.) walked up to me. She immediately caught my eye and today she's become my wife, but she's also the one who introduced me to Rastafari."

What does Rastafari represent to you?
Jamelody:
"Rastafari means righteousness, oneness and cleanliness and as a Rasta it's your duty to carry that out to the world. Being Rasta is not about having dreads on your head, but about the love you have in your heart and living in love and unity with your brothers and sisters."

After years of singjays being at the forefront of reggae music, it now seems that the spotlight is on singers once again. Together with people like Tarrus Riley and Duane Stephenson, you seem part of a new wave in Jamaican music.
Jamelody:
"Yeah, the vibe has definitely changed over the past year, but the music business is strange, you know, what's hyped today can be out of style tomorrow, so right now I can only give thanks."