FOR singer Cen’C Love it seems like she was destined to strum her guitar and get involved in the music business. On reflection she told the Observer, “I’ve always known music is in my blood, but the music bug really bit me when I got my first guitar in high school.”
With that realisation came the need for preparation and so Cen’C attended Dekalb School of the Arts, a performing arts school in Atlanta, Georgia where she had musical training throughout high school, and vocal training from one of Jamaica’s own classical vocalists, Dawn-Marie James.
Coming into her own as a stage performer was not an easy task, but according to Cen’C she overcame shyness by embracing her “unique sound, and creating more masterpiece helped me to deal with stage fright,” she shared.
“As a new artiste, sometimes I worry if the audience will feel me the first time around, recording is the easy part,” she continued.
Born Ngeri Livingston in America, the daughter of Neville O’Riley Livingston aka Bunny Wailer, Cen’C was raised between Kingston and Atlanta, spending time equally between the two cities.
According to Cen’C, her father’s musical influence did not just reach out to her alone. “My father has influenced me by influencing the whole reggae music business. The Wailers helped set the pace for reggae itself, and my father has transitioned through many generations. He respects me as an artiste, and I respect him even more as a father of reggae and a living legend,” she said unable to hide the note of pride in her voice.
However, as much as she admires and respects her dad, Cen’C is all about creating her own space in the music industry.
“My music is ‘now music’. It represents this time and space where the world is very small, and everyone rubs off on each other. It is like this melting pot, and reggae is home. In a sense I would call it soul music, because it connects with many souls,” she explained.
Cen’C doesn’t believe in boundaries and as such, she is working hard at accomplishing in the various fields of work. She is a musician, singer, songwriter, fashion designer and a visual artist.
While attending school in Atlanta she studied dance, drama and writing.
For Cen’C Love art is a lifestyle. For most of her summers she travelled around the US with her fashion designer/dancer mom, attending art and trade shows where she received some of the inspiration that she now applies to her work.
Cen’C has performed on stages in Jamaica, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York and Amsterdam. In Atlanta at the 2008 Natural Hair Show and at the Centennial Park Wednesday Wind-down in July 08, she honed her talent in front of very appreciative audiences. She appeared at the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam 08 and at the Reggae Awards in New York in the spring of 2009.
Cen’C is preparing to release her 12-track album, Love Letter, the single Casanova and its accompanying music video.
Source: JamaicaObserver
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