INTERVIEW

Interview by : Filip Flatau on Monday, December 18th 2000 - 11 425 views  Print        Reactions  (0)    Her name has been seen on a few 45s, but it is only recently that all eyes have turned to this 24-year-old young Jamaican. Her track Changez is at the top of the charts everywhere and her next hit "Good Time" will soon be available on 45. While Lady Saw, Tanya Stephens and Lady G have all got people talking, it is now Cecile who is considered the number 1 female singjay. The lyrics of "CHANGEZ" are highly controversial: in this track Cecile pokes fun at certain singers, deejays and selectors of the Jamaican dancehall scene. The track created a whole media buzz: Bounty Killer, Beenie Man and Elephant Man all reacted to the hit by recording a response to Changez of their own... Reggaefrance / Can you tell me how you started singing? Cecile / I made my first single at the age of 15 for Ibo Cooper, who later became a member of the group Third World. Where in Jamaica are you from? I was born in Port Manchester, but I spent most of my childhood in Mandeville. So I adopted Mandeville as my home. What were your influences? My influences come from D Angelo and Lauryn Hill. Who was the first to discover your talent? I was the first to know that I wanted to sing, and to be aware of my potential, so there weren't many people interested until I went to Kingston and recorded for the label Mphatic. It was through MPhatic that I met Kings Of Kings. And so now you've been made famous by your recent hit "Changez". Can you tell me where the idea for the tune came from? Actually, I was supposed to do a tune for the label of Fire Links (the selecta and producer), and one day I went to the river with an engineer and Mercilless. I wanted to write lyrics about the singers, but something truthful. For example when I say "SkyJuice with his big belly", that line is true, you only have to look at him. And so, as we realised these lyrics were too good, we decided to produce it ourselves. Kings Of Kings helped us financially to build this project. So I was supposed to do it on Fire Links' label (who would have liked to have this tune on his label) but I finally changed my mind. What did you think of Bounty Killer's reaction? I think everyone has the right to express their opinions, everyone does what they want. His opinion is that he doesn't like this tune, that's his opinion and he has the right to put it on a record and shout it from the rooftops. Bounty is someone I appreciate for his talents as a deejay and his manners. I was disappointed that he took it that way. He could take it personally but he could have reacted with a bit more finesse and elegance. Unlike Bounty, Beenie Man supported you... Yes. Much love to Beenie Man, he didn't have to come and lay a tune on this riddim (Chiney Gal), but he did (Counteract) and I'm going to support him because I think that song could end up number 1 in the charts. He knows I did Changez in a humorous way, just to joke. He thus proved that he was the best deejay in Jamaica. Have you recorded anything with Beenie since? No, but we're going to. We've already shared the same stage, and taken part in the Black BET Party in Harlem and in L.A. Your next hit coming up is called "Good Time"... Yes, "Good Time" is the follow-up to "Changez" for me. In "Changez" I listed the faults of 23 singers, toasters and selectors. In "Good Time" I explain why a man is so hard to find... but you have to look, look until you find him (a reference to Wayne Wonder's hit "Searchin"). Even if they think we try guys out like savages just to have a good time, it's actually only to find the right one. Can you tell me about your friendship with Danny English? Well, I've known Danny English for 6 years, going back to the time when nothing was happening for us. Once Danny English brought me up on stage and I got the biggest forward (the crowd's reaction that leads to a pull up) to date. We have done two combinations together: one for Jamdown Records and one for Shaggy's label. Rumour has it you're already working on an album... I know it's a taboo subject, because according to some people you must have recorded 60 singles and been in the business for 3 years before you're allowed to make an album. But that's not how I work. I've already started preparing my album. I still make singles, but I prefer to give quality rather than quantity. So I don't record for everybody. I'm very selective in my choices. I try to make every song a good song. The album will contain dancehall and Lovers Rock and will be produced by different producers.  Print       Reactions (0)

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