Chevelle Franklyn is, without doubt, one of the most outstanding artists to have arrived on the gospel music landscape over the past five years. Her energy as a performer, insight as a songwriter, and vocal capacity as a singer, has ensured her success as a leading, international, multiple award-winning music artist, breaking all generic barriers.
Chevelle Franklin was born in Tawes Pen, St Catherine, Jamaica, in 1974. She grew up in one of the area’s shantytown communities to a single parent family of ten siblings. It was a very tough life for the young Chevelle, and there were many hungry days, and little hope of education. Then, at the aged of six, Chevelle decided that she wanted to be adopted. It was a simple process, as she describes: “I saw a nice lady passing on her way to church and I asked her if I could go and live with her. She said ‘Yes’.”
Living with Mrs. White, as the lady was called, gave Chevelle access to education, clean clothes, ample meals and knowledge of the Christian faith. It was, perhaps, the best Chevelle’s mother could offer her and, in any event, gave her a grounding that was to prove invaluable in later life.
Like many teenagers, Chevelle became rebellious at the age of 15 and parted company with her adopted family. She found herself living rough in Kingston and, in a bid to survive, took a job as a peanut seller in downtown Kingston. But life was extremely rough for a young girl without a responsible adult to look out for her, or a place to call home, and she soon left the town and headed for the North Coast. She got her first break while singing in the women’s restroom in a local bar, after a passing talent scout overheard her. At the time Chevelle’s desire to enter the music industry was a means to an end - to survive.
As a child prodigy in the industry, Chevelle recorded her first work - “Here I Am”, produced by Rohan Harrison - at the tender age of 14 but, the single was not released until she was 17. Public reaction to its eventual intro was hugely positive and indicated that Chevelle had a future in the industry.
Nurtured by some of the top names among Jamaica’s music producers, Chevelle soon marked out a distinctive territory in Jamaica’s dancehall culture scene. Her future took a rosy turn when she began working with producers Mikey Bennett and Rohan Harrison. She recorded her smash hit “Nice and Naughty”, followed by another single, “No Pushover” in 1992..., again produced by Mikey Bennett.
This led to collaborations with household names such as Spragga Benz, for “A1 Lover” 1996 and Shabba Ranks for “Mr Lover Man” 1991. In 1997, Chevelle hit a lucrative opportunity to record the internationally acclaimed “Dancehall Queen” with Beenie Man, for Island Records. The soundtrack was used for the equally successful movie of the same name, in 1997. Chevelle was now a household name in Jamaica, the UK, the Cayman Islands and the America. During 1996 and 1997, Chevelle toured the major cities of these countries, performing at venues such as New York Apollo and Reggae Sumfest Jamaica.
But despite the great success, there remained a gaping hole in her soul. In 1998, during a concert, Chevelle, tired of the empty way of life and hopelessness, suddenly declared on stage a change of direction in her career and lifestyle - she decided to become a Christian. As a symbol of her signature to this new change, she sang Kirk Franklin’s song, “Silver and Gold” on stage. She said: “I did not hear any message or anything, but I felt the calling of God. I just broke down on the stage and said, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ I knew there was something better out there.”
Better certainly did come and since that change Chevelle has been combining her new expression with the energetic lyrical style that had made her a great success. A 2000 collaboration with Papa San on his award-winning album, “Victory”, led to a Marlin Award for her vocal appearance on the track “Touch from you”. She wrote the first page in the history of her new lifestyle with her first gospel album, “Joy”, a co-production effort with Danny Brownie, for Mainstreet Records. The album stirred up an international storm when it was released in 2001, and led to a tour around the UK, in the Cayman Islands, the USA and Jamaica.
The album is a lively mixture of dancehall and DJ style chat, but it also reveals the breadth of Chevelle’s vocal talent with its presentation of ballad songs. Throughout the 14 self-penned tracks, Chevelle displays a formidable ability to inspire and stir both spirit and soul.
One of her aims in its recording was to deal with real issues facing young people. She said: “Songs like “It’s Another Saturday Night” deal with real issues for young Christian people. It’s a real struggle - sometimes your friends are out partying and you feel left out, so this is what the song is dealing with.”
For her efforts, “Joy” led to 12 nominations in the Sixth Annual Caribbean Gospel Music Marlin Awards, in 2002. Chevelle walked away with awards in five categories: Outstanding New Artist of the Year; Adapted Recording of the Year, for “Firm Foundation; Female Reggae Recording of the Year, for “Magnify His Name”; Contemporary Female Vocal Performance of the Year, for “Joy”; and Album of the Year, also for “Joy”.
Chevelle is now working on a second gospel album, and sneak previews have left a distinct impression that this album will follow in the footsteps of Joy’s runaway success.
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