'even the newest stars are honored'
Diana King
REAL NAME:Diana King
BIRTH PLACE:Spanish Town, Jamaica
Global hitmaker DIANA KING speaking about her last album release RESPECT for Maverick Records. With her trademark blend of reggae, pop and R&B, the Jamaican-born singer/songwriter is truly expressing herself with songs that not only showcase her vocal artistry but highlight her skills as a lyrical storyteller.
Writing primarily with producer Andy Marvel, with whom she worked on her first two albums, DIANA--whose 1995 international smash “Shy Guy” catapulted her to mainstream fame worldwide--has created a set of tunes that reference her observations and own real life experience. Bold, witty and, in some instances, very personal, the songs on RESPECT cover a diverse range of topics from female empowerment and real love to a blunt slice of autobiography that references DIANA’s early years growing up in Jamaica’s Spanish Town.
“I spent a lot of my life trying to figure out my style,” says the upbeat singer, who had made her home in South Florida since 1996. “I started out as a singer but reggae rapping is a part of my history. I battled with it for a long time because I was afraid of being categorized as either a pop and soul singer or a reggae artist but with this new album, I’m coming to terms with who I am musically. The truth is I am all of those things and all the music on RESPECT comes from the heart.”
The instantly infectious “Summer Breezin’” kicks off this musical celebration of life, love and good times. With its memorable hook, the song describes DIANA’s antics hanging out with friends including a special mix with dancehall artiste Bounty Killa. In contrast lyrically, “The Real Shit” is just as much a true-to-life story, describing events in DIANA’s early years: “Yeah, it’s some deep stuff,” she admits. “I was creative-looking when I grew up – the way I would dress, do my hair, like blonde or red. People didn’t know how to deal with me. I felt like I was nothing and the only thing that saved me was singing.”
“I spent a lot of my life trying to figure out my style,” says the upbeat singer, who had made her home in South Florida since 1996. “I started out as a singer but reggae rapping is a part of my history. I battled with it for a long time because I was afraid of being categorized as either a pop and soul singer or a reggae artist but with this new album, I’m coming to terms with who I am musically. The truth is I am all of those things and all the music on RESPECT comes from the heart.”
The instantly infectious “Summer Breezin’” kicks off this musical celebration of life, love and good times. With its memorable hook, the song describes DIANA’s antics hanging out with friends including a special mix with dancehall artiste Bounty Killa. In contrast lyrically, it is just as much a true-to-life story, describing events in DIANA’s early years: “Yeah, it’s some deep stuff,” she admits. “I was creative-looking when I grew up – the way I would dress, do my hair, like blonde or red. People didn’t know how to deal with me. I felt like I was nothing and the only thing that saved me was singing.”
One of fifteen children, DIANA was born in Spanish Town, in St. Catherine’s Parish, not far from Kingston. While she grew up singing traditional hymns in church, it was the music of soulful divas like Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle and Chaka Khan that influenced DIANA: “In Jamaica, we don’t sing gospel like in the U.S. When I got the chance to sing a solo in church, I wanted to do Aretha and it was like, ‘you can’t do that here…’” Undeterred, DIANA began expressing her passion for music by singing at weekends at Mingles a local Kingston club. Parental objections led to DIANA’s early departure from home: “I didn’t even know where I was going. I took a bus and ended up in Ocho Rios… I saw somebody I knew there and he told me about a band that was looking for a female singer…that night I was onstage and started my career on Jamaica’s north coast circuit.”
Singing everything from R&B to pop and dance hits, DIANA found herself performing at different hotels in Jamaica before she became the featured singer with the reggae-oriented City Heat band. It was only a matter of time before DIANA’s vocal talents came to the attention of industry professionals and in the early ‘90s, she recorded her first single with producer Handel Tucker, “Change of Heart.”
“Going there after the release of my first album really helped establish me in those countries,” says DIANA, who has performed in Japan twice a year since 1995 and has consistently toured throughout Europe as a result of the popularity she enjoyed with her debut album. In 1997, Columbia Records released Think Like A Girl, DIANA’s much-acclaimed sophomore set which included remakes of Dionne Warwick’s “I Say A Little Prayer” and Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?” Before she started working on a new record of her own, DIANA enjoyed some further success--as a songwriter. “Treat Her Like A Lady”--co-written by DIANA and producers Andy Marvel and Billy Mann--was recorded by superstar Celine Dion on 1997’s multi-platinum Let’s Talk About Love album.
DIANA KING has much to look forward to as she embarks on the next phase of her career. Notes DIANA, “After the second album came out, I continued touring internationally but I laid low for a few years because of record company changes. It took a minute to figure out what was going on…” Looking for a new recording home, DIANA began working on tunes with producer Marvel towards the end of 2001 and it was a chance meeting with an executive then working at Maverick Records which led to DIANA’s eventual signing with the label in the spring of 2002.
In addition to working with producer Marvel (who produced most of the album), DIANA also collaborated with producer/writer Giloh Morgan (brother of singer Debelah Morgan) for the dancehall-styled “Wind Yu Waist.” “I wasn’t too keen on working with another producer, but when I met Giloh it felt like I knew him forever,” says DIANA. “It was a cool vibe.”
Whether it’s the hypnotic groove of “Tick Boom,” a straight-up chastising of men “who treat women like we’re objects, you know, calling out to us when we’re walking down the street, not being respectful” or the serious club jam “Dance” (co-produced by Marvel and Billy Mann), RESPECT captures the joyful musical essence of DIANA KING, a multi-talented artiste who effortlessly blends pop, soul and reggae into a distinctive style that is all her own. Returning to her roots in 2004, DIANA is quietly working with international hit maker Sly Dunbar and other Jamaican talent to create new songs for the global market…It’s like a new beginning--and I’m excited and nervous at the same time!”
DIANA KING has the IT that separates talent from superstars…a combination of unparalled vocal power and passion, diverse style, edgy songwriting skills, exotic beauty, sharp mind, sex appeal, and charm to spare, this artiste has the potential to penetrate the international market in a way only previously achieved by global stars such as Bob Marley.
Breaking barriers with a voice that cuts straight through the heart, crooning, rapping and belting her passionate message in the universal language of love to a global market, DIANA KING aka KINGSINGA, is THE voice for the 21st century and the Jamaican artiste who will ultimately take it to the next level.
BIRTH PLACE:Spanish Town, Jamaica
Global hitmaker DIANA KING speaking about her last album release RESPECT for Maverick Records. With her trademark blend of reggae, pop and R&B, the Jamaican-born singer/songwriter is truly expressing herself with songs that not only showcase her vocal artistry but highlight her skills as a lyrical storyteller.
Writing primarily with producer Andy Marvel, with whom she worked on her first two albums, DIANA--whose 1995 international smash “Shy Guy” catapulted her to mainstream fame worldwide--has created a set of tunes that reference her observations and own real life experience. Bold, witty and, in some instances, very personal, the songs on RESPECT cover a diverse range of topics from female empowerment and real love to a blunt slice of autobiography that references DIANA’s early years growing up in Jamaica’s Spanish Town.
“I spent a lot of my life trying to figure out my style,” says the upbeat singer, who had made her home in South Florida since 1996. “I started out as a singer but reggae rapping is a part of my history. I battled with it for a long time because I was afraid of being categorized as either a pop and soul singer or a reggae artist but with this new album, I’m coming to terms with who I am musically. The truth is I am all of those things and all the music on RESPECT comes from the heart.”
The instantly infectious “Summer Breezin’” kicks off this musical celebration of life, love and good times. With its memorable hook, the song describes DIANA’s antics hanging out with friends including a special mix with dancehall artiste Bounty Killa. In contrast lyrically, “The Real Shit” is just as much a true-to-life story, describing events in DIANA’s early years: “Yeah, it’s some deep stuff,” she admits. “I was creative-looking when I grew up – the way I would dress, do my hair, like blonde or red. People didn’t know how to deal with me. I felt like I was nothing and the only thing that saved me was singing.”
“I spent a lot of my life trying to figure out my style,” says the upbeat singer, who had made her home in South Florida since 1996. “I started out as a singer but reggae rapping is a part of my history. I battled with it for a long time because I was afraid of being categorized as either a pop and soul singer or a reggae artist but with this new album, I’m coming to terms with who I am musically. The truth is I am all of those things and all the music on RESPECT comes from the heart.”
The instantly infectious “Summer Breezin’” kicks off this musical celebration of life, love and good times. With its memorable hook, the song describes DIANA’s antics hanging out with friends including a special mix with dancehall artiste Bounty Killa. In contrast lyrically, it is just as much a true-to-life story, describing events in DIANA’s early years: “Yeah, it’s some deep stuff,” she admits. “I was creative-looking when I grew up – the way I would dress, do my hair, like blonde or red. People didn’t know how to deal with me. I felt like I was nothing and the only thing that saved me was singing.”
One of fifteen children, DIANA was born in Spanish Town, in St. Catherine’s Parish, not far from Kingston. While she grew up singing traditional hymns in church, it was the music of soulful divas like Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle and Chaka Khan that influenced DIANA: “In Jamaica, we don’t sing gospel like in the U.S. When I got the chance to sing a solo in church, I wanted to do Aretha and it was like, ‘you can’t do that here…’” Undeterred, DIANA began expressing her passion for music by singing at weekends at Mingles a local Kingston club. Parental objections led to DIANA’s early departure from home: “I didn’t even know where I was going. I took a bus and ended up in Ocho Rios… I saw somebody I knew there and he told me about a band that was looking for a female singer…that night I was onstage and started my career on Jamaica’s north coast circuit.”
Singing everything from R&B to pop and dance hits, DIANA found herself performing at different hotels in Jamaica before she became the featured singer with the reggae-oriented City Heat band. It was only a matter of time before DIANA’s vocal talents came to the attention of industry professionals and in the early ‘90s, she recorded her first single with producer Handel Tucker, “Change of Heart.”
“Going there after the release of my first album really helped establish me in those countries,” says DIANA, who has performed in Japan twice a year since 1995 and has consistently toured throughout Europe as a result of the popularity she enjoyed with her debut album. In 1997, Columbia Records released Think Like A Girl, DIANA’s much-acclaimed sophomore set which included remakes of Dionne Warwick’s “I Say A Little Prayer” and Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?” Before she started working on a new record of her own, DIANA enjoyed some further success--as a songwriter. “Treat Her Like A Lady”--co-written by DIANA and producers Andy Marvel and Billy Mann--was recorded by superstar Celine Dion on 1997’s multi-platinum Let’s Talk About Love album.
DIANA KING has much to look forward to as she embarks on the next phase of her career. Notes DIANA, “After the second album came out, I continued touring internationally but I laid low for a few years because of record company changes. It took a minute to figure out what was going on…” Looking for a new recording home, DIANA began working on tunes with producer Marvel towards the end of 2001 and it was a chance meeting with an executive then working at Maverick Records which led to DIANA’s eventual signing with the label in the spring of 2002.
In addition to working with producer Marvel (who produced most of the album), DIANA also collaborated with producer/writer Giloh Morgan (brother of singer Debelah Morgan) for the dancehall-styled “Wind Yu Waist.” “I wasn’t too keen on working with another producer, but when I met Giloh it felt like I knew him forever,” says DIANA. “It was a cool vibe.”
Whether it’s the hypnotic groove of “Tick Boom,” a straight-up chastising of men “who treat women like we’re objects, you know, calling out to us when we’re walking down the street, not being respectful” or the serious club jam “Dance” (co-produced by Marvel and Billy Mann), RESPECT captures the joyful musical essence of DIANA KING, a multi-talented artiste who effortlessly blends pop, soul and reggae into a distinctive style that is all her own. Returning to her roots in 2004, DIANA is quietly working with international hit maker Sly Dunbar and other Jamaican talent to create new songs for the global market…It’s like a new beginning--and I’m excited and nervous at the same time!”
DIANA KING has the IT that separates talent from superstars…a combination of unparalled vocal power and passion, diverse style, edgy songwriting skills, exotic beauty, sharp mind, sex appeal, and charm to spare, this artiste has the potential to penetrate the international market in a way only previously achieved by global stars such as Bob Marley.
Breaking barriers with a voice that cuts straight through the heart, crooning, rapping and belting her passionate message in the universal language of love to a global market, DIANA KING aka KINGSINGA, is THE voice for the 21st century and the Jamaican artiste who will ultimately take it to the next level.
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RWW FASHION FEATURE - 'BRIDGET SANDALS'
Novia McDonald-Whyte - Contributing editor Jamaica Observer
Sunday, December 07, 2003
Sandals designer Bridget say "Bridget sandals" in Jamaica and fashion watchers, as well as lovers of sexy leather straps, will smile the smug smile of those in the know. It has been, for Bridget Brown, (known by thousands as Bridget), a journey of twenty-odd years. The fact is, the leather soles of her sandals almost left her barefooted on several occasions. "It took me three years," Bridget tells SunDay to get my feet off the ground. I paid the price for not going to school. I had to endure artisans not cutting the leather properly, bad work attitude, sabotage, you name it, I went through it."
A baptism of fire, some might be tempted to add for the former Playboy Bunny. "I was a bunny between 1972 and 1977 at the Playboy Boscobel Beach," says Bridget, flashing her signature toothy smile, and still conscious of that bunny poise.
"Playboy was forced to close (no tourists were coming to Jamaica). I was forced to come back to Kingston. I had to find some means of survival. My first stop was G's One of a Kind -- an upscale boutique that sold one-of-a kind Italian shoes and clothing. I left that in May 1981, after Bob Marley's death. I sold pound-cloth for Carmen Brown of Karmen's Corner. "There I was with my scale underneath my arm, and my cushions at my side. I really never wanted to make sandals. I also made skull caps and crochet bags."
Start she did and never looked back. Bridget even found the time and finances to attend school in Milan. "I went to school out of curiosity. I wondered if I was doing something wrong. Little did I know that I was in fact doing something right. My customers are happy, the sandals are fitting right, and I, too, am satisfied. I admire what I am doing."
No idle boast. Bridget Sandals were on the runway at New York Fashionweek, and Caribbean Fashionweek. Bridget Sandals are in Barbados, St Kitts, Antigua, Lincoln Avenue, South Beach (Miami), in the Village (New York) and at Controversy -- Battersea London.
Come next season, there's the possibility of a shipment to Japan, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and Dallas.
"You have to be skilfull to survive. It has been a 20-year fight for survival. It's a struggle to maintain quality, confidence, style, craftsmanship. Finally, you have to have integrity in business."
As the chat comes to an end and Bridget does that Bridget walk towards her taxi, and there's a feeling that the very best is still to come from this beautiful sister.
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