HER voice brings a certain uniqueness to the local music scene, and is undoubtedly one of the most powerful new ones on the airwaves, mistaken sometimes for Rhianna, the Barbados-born songstress who has become the hottest thing on the international R&B scene.
Off stage, Celeste Dawn David has this soothing innocence about her, and, in her own words, she’s a “calm and friendly person”. But get her on stage and “I’m a whole different person!”
“On stage I’m gonna dance and do what I gotta do,” she told the Sunday Chronicle in a recent interview at our offices.
Celeste started singing in church since she was about four years old. She even led the church choir.
She said she has sung mostly gospel, at religious concerts and school concerts, but was drawn to a few major national shows in recent years.
She performed at the concert featuring former Destiny’s Child singer Michelle Williams organised by Kester D and the Firehouse band in 2004. She also sang the National Anthem at the Douglas Basketball Tournament.
But it was the GT&T jingle competition that eased her deeper into the music industry. Since placing second in the last round of the now popular contest, Celeste has released two provocative new singles, and has recorded more for an album to come early next year.
The 19-year-old New Amsterdam, Berbice girl has vowed to become more than just another GT&T jingle girl, writing song after song and taking regular trips to the studios in Georgetown.
Celeste is talented and has wasted no time in launching her solo career. Her two singles are to be released officially at the much talked about entertainment show featuring Jamaican international dancehall artiste ‘Baby Cham’ today at the GCC Ground, Bourda.
“Back it up” her debut Soca single, is already making it big, being aired through the electronic media and through music sets all around the city. But her song has been mistaken as a hit released by one of those experienced and treasured voices from the Caribbean.
When the Sunday Chronicle asked a few people to guess whose song it was playing on a stereo set, Rhianna and Allison Hinds were the responses. More persons asked thought that it was a Rhianna hit.
The tantalising and powerful lyrics of ‘Back it up’ were recorded by her relative Danielle Major of Kingdom Friends studio, located in Kitty, Georgetown. Celeste did her own back-up vocals during the two-week recording.
Asked about the meaning of ‘Back it up’ Celeste answered, “It’s basically a dance. People interpret it in their own way sometimes but I love dancing and whenever I start dancing the first part I move is my waist.”
She laughed, then explain that along with her sisters, Jonelle and Ginesta, she is co-owner of a dancing school in New Amsterdam Berbice called the Jireh Gem Dancers (JGD), a name which also represents the initials of the three, Celeste’s middle name being Dawn.
The JGD Dancers are featured in the ‘Back it up’ video. The nicely composed video is hot, with female and male dancers instructing the way one should back it up on the dance floor in a nightclub atmosphere. They are uniquely dressed in sexy clothing, calling even more attention to the already attractive rhythm of words.
The ‘Back it up’ video is more of a promotional piece Celeste said. Her performance at the Baby Cham show will be splendid, as the two videos to be launched are already much talked about.
Thanks to the GT&T jingle competition, she has become a popular voice on the radio behind one of the more loved commercials. Although Celeste’s jingle placed second, it has become a favourite after rounds of competition in the widely supported televised contest, and is being used by the phone company to advertise its cellink service.
“GT&T Cellink Plus, GT&T it’s a must,” her voice rings out on the airwaves.
Her new accomplishment is testimony to the fact that someone does not necessarily have to win the competition to become a star, but as long as your talent is realised, the next step is to prove your worth.
Casually dressed in a baby pink halter top and blue Capri jeans, the teenager praised the phone company for arranging the competition which allowed her the chance to showcase her skills.
“The GT&T jingle competition gave me a push and I’m more out there now so I got the chance to get it done. The competition has exposed me to a lot of things and it gave me a lot of push and the chance to meet a lot of people,” she said during the interview.
She has certainly won the hearts of many and has already been approached to do other commercials. She has modelled for the Windies Sports Bar advertisement shown regularly on television. Yes, Celeste is one of those young ladies with the prettiest smile having a bite of delicious goodies at the fairly new sports bar.
She models a little, but admits that unlike her two older sisters, modelling is not what she really wants to do.
“I am just taking the blessing God gave me right now… I think the God put me here to be a singer. He gave me this talent and I am showing it to the world,” she said.
She sings crossover music, but ‘Soul’ is what really is in her heart and soul. The long list of songs Celeste has written and is waiting to record include more soca tunes, soul, and gospel. She has already recorded a gospel album but it is not available commercially.
“I sing crossover music but what I really wanna sing is ‘soul’. I am singing these other kinds of music basically to attract fans and to become more popular. Maybe some of it is going to help my soul.”
There are a few music greats she looks up to, but since childhood, some of her strength has been drawn from one particular woman.
“Whitney Houston is one of my sources of inspiration, but I don’t pattern myself after her. I don’t try to sound like anyone else, I have my own sound. I wanna go out there and show what I have to offer,” said the chocolate Guyanese girl.
Celeste declares that her talent is natural, since she was given no formal training in music. She says singing any song comes “easy” for her since it is something she has been doing for quite a while.