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Roseau, Monday December 23, 2013: After five years, Dominican musical
ambassador Michele Henderson returns with her latest musical
endeavor-Home
(Chez Moi); a world music album she plans to promote
to global markets via online distributor Believe Digital.
A combination of
the first and last song titles, the album fulfills a the two-fold purpose of
highlighting her birthplace Dominica as well as the romantic ballads that she
is well-known for.
“I wanted this
project to be something that reflected me, my style, not just me in Dominica
and where I live,” said Michele.
She further
explained, “Home” was a song written in tribute to my country that
reflected its beauty, its people and “Chez
Moi” is a love song
that draws somebody in and welcomes you into their space.”
Roland Delsol Jr., Michele’s husband, manager and producer of the
project, described the album as a “labor of love” which manifested with the contributions from
multiple musicians.
“We tried
something different this year, we decided to use as many different musicians
and arrangers as we could possibly find in terms of the time and the music we
present,” Delsol said.
Artistic
contributions came from Dominican music arrangers (Brent Samuels,
Donavan Gabriel, Leon St. Jean, Earlson Matthew, Kendel Laurent) and their counterparts from Martinique
(Phillippe
Joseph of Kassav and Ronald Rulle), and Guadeloupe (Jacques Camara). Guitarists Jerry
Moulon and Ordel Hamilton,
percussionist
Alain Dracais and bassist Roland Delsol Jr contributed musical talent. The music was produced
at Audio Solutions Inc Studios in Dominica and mixed and mastered in Martinique at Heureka Studio.
The 13-track “Home ‘Chez Moi’” will have a prolonged release during
2014 with the digital release of four songs every three months via online
distributors, Believe Digital. Each launch will include a music video
culminating with the hard copy release of the album CD just in time for the
2014 Independence celebrations. The first four releases are “Home,”
“Mr. Right,” “2B Lonely” and “Mizik La.”
Business
development officer at the OECS Export Development Unit, Sobers Esprit
said the album will be
an “exciting product for this music market”. His organization contributed
funds used for the recording- studio time and musicians.
An
accomplished flutist, Michele has displayed her vocal and musical
abilities at global events including St.
Lucia Jazz Festival, Roskilde
Festival in Demark, UCLA Jazz
and Reggae Festival in California
and the World Creole Music Festival
(WCMF) in her native Dominica.
Nathalie Clarke, events director of the Dominica Festivals
Committee (the organizers of the WCMF) commended Michele for recording an album
of “standards so high that our value is seen across the planet.”
Michele’s
previous albums include 2000’s Michele Henderson, Creole Special Live and Sound
Check –both released in 2002, Mwen lnme’w 2004 and re-released two
years later. Sa Kai was released in 2008.
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