Melly Rose sings to uplift hearts and minds
Music saves lives.
Melly Rose (Melissa St Rose) is living proof of that adage. The talented soca/afrobeats crossover singer/musician has emerged as a shining light in the genre following the recent success of her uplifting melodies and go-getter lyrics.
“I always say music saved my life because when life gets hard and I’ve been in my lowest of lows, music has always helped me through it,” a bubbly Melly Rose told the Kitcharee during a WhatsApp exchange on Wednesday.
Melly says all her music is based on real life experiences. The Arima-born singer hopes by openly sharing her ups and downs, she can help her listeners better navigate their own personal challenges.
“I would describe my music as life because every song I have has stemmed from a real-life situation or emotion I was going through, at the time they were created. With my music I just pray I’m able to give back what I was given: joy, peace, a moment of relief and an outlet while dealing with life,” she continued.
Melly’s 2021 release “Shine Pon Me” which appeared on Advokit’s (Kitwana Israel) Tender Touch Riddim, did just that. The feel-good track, which features Nigerian afrobeats star Skales (Raoul John Njeng-Njeng), made the petite singer a household name across the region. That level of success validates her decision to return to T&T after spending all her teenage years and some of her adult life in Baltimore in the US, she said.
“So, I was born in Trinidad and Tobago and at 13 I migrated to the United States where my mom lives. I then attended the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA) (in Maryland) which was a pivotal moment in my life. It opened my eyes, my ears to a totally different style of music, which growing up I never thought I would ever experience: classical music,” she revealed.
Forged from the love
At BSA a teenaged Melly Rose was introduced to other unconventional forms of creative expressions and recalls fondly how she “fell in love with ballet, comic operas and strings quartets, which I never in my wildest dreams thought I would not only experience but love it as much as I do”.
“I remember my audition at BSA like it was yesterday. I went into the room to audition in front of five-person team. I sang Trinidad and Tobago’s national anthem and a song I wrote myself and I kept watching their faces to see if they (would) react, but there was absolutely no reaction.
“I walked out that room and both my little knees started knocking, I was so nervous and I started to cry. It wasn’t tears of sadness, they were tears I overcame, even though I was scared, I still did it. It’s crazy because I still view life that way, even when I’m scared, I still push though,” she nodded.
After graduating from BSA, Melly went on to study music at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and later Morgan State University in Baltimore. Soon after she was presented with the opportunity to share the stage with acclaimed American singer/songwriter Josh Groban and the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO). Later she performed across Africa and the Middle East making appearances on stage in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
“The US definitely gives you a different perspective of things, I think the biggest thing I learned was to go after everything I want for myself, figure out what you want and work towards it,” she said.
Melly applied that very attitude to the recently released BET Soca Freestyle project alongside fellow creators Travis Harris and music producer Kevin “Stadic” Charles. In doing so, she proved her star power on both sides of the lens, leading off production and starring on camera for the eight-and-a-half-minute cypher that features DJ Ana (Ana-Leesa Ramnarine) and verses from soca acts Sekon Sta (Nesta Boxhill), Nessa Preppy (Vanessa John), Erphaan Alves, Preedy (Akeem Chance) and Mical Teja.
Returning to T&T
The gifted songwriter was also able to follow up on her 2021 success with the Taste of Carnival releases “Amazing” and “Wha Ya Want” with Sekon Sta on the Turbulence Riddim.
“Moving back home is the best thing I’ve ever done. The joy and peace I feel here is amazing. Hence how I’m able to create songs like ‘Amazing’. I feel very connected to my purpose and my inner self being back home. Like anything in life, it has its ups and downs, but the overall experience and the journey has been a great one. I am constantly learning and growing and for that I’m forever grateful. I’ve been learning to trust myself, my journey and my expression of self. It’s been great,” she beamed.
That finding of self has come at an ideal time. Though undeniably “emotionally tough” it proved a stabilising force in helping her to “have a clear vision” through the pain of losing her grandmother and four close friends to Covid, she shared.
Prime Minster Dr Keith Rowley’s recent hint that all pandemic restrictions may soon be lifted is the good news Melly says she’s been waiting to hear. She is planning the release of her new single “Smile” which features Kitwana Israel.
“It (the PM’s announcement) made me so happy, part of our culture is being able to come together and enjoy moments and we’ve not been able to do that in two years. Now that we are seeing the light at the end on this tunnel, makes me happy. I am sooo ready,” she concluded with genuine excitement.
