Never one to shy away from being different, Shanique Marie has always considered herself a trendsetter. At Providence Methodist Church, as a daring, 6 year old she begged for an opportunity to join the family choir although she was below the required age. Singing “He Lives” at a Sunday church service, the little girl blew the congregation away and was quickly welcomed as the youngest ever choir member. With years of singing experience under her belt at Providence and Mona Prep, 10 year old Shanique tried out for Father Holung’s play, “Ruby”, beating out several persons for the lead role. As part of the group, she became a touring performer, appearing in numerous shows in Jamaica, the United States and the Cayman Islands.
By the time she was 16 years old, Shanique had made a name for herself as a talented performer. Following an impromptu performance at Red Bones, she was approached by the restaurant’s manager and asked to host a concert at the venue. Months later, the well-attended event was held – this was public recognition that Shanique Marie was
the youngest jazz vocalist in Jamaica at the time.
While still in high school, Shanique was introduced to Gavin Blair of Equiknoxx Music. Years later, while working on an ad, she went to Equiknoxx’s studio and finally met the production duo, Gavin and Nick Deane, in person. She was encouraged by Equiknoxx to start singing again. Out of the collaboration, Shanique released “Closer” on the “Jim Screechie Riddim”, her first song on a dancehall beat. Attracting a lot of attention, particularly in Europe, the single offered a glimpse into the young artiste’s versatility.
Despite all the strides she had made as a singer, Shanique Marie found herself struggling to find her place in the music world. “The dancehall scene wasn’t working for me and I realized that my heart wasn’t completely in it,” Shanique commented. “Working closely with Equiknoxx, I finally found my calling in jazz, a genre I’ve always loved and admired because it has so much soul yet it’s so soothing,” she pointed out.
On a chilly, breezy night, after yet another exhausting day toiling at her full-time job, Shanique dragged her tired body into her car and made her way to the renowned Anchor Studios on Windsor Avenue. She arrived right at the start of her studio session, leaving no time to unwind and reenergize. Armed with potent lyrics, Shanique was ready: ready to sing, ready to ad lib, ready to lay the relaxing background vocals, ready to change the way Jamaicans view jazz. For four hours, her sultry, light voice flowed harmoniously alongside mellow rhythms – and the intimate audience of producers and engineers was in utter amazement at her ability to record each song in no more than two attempts. At the end of it all, an EP of seven completed songs emerged, described as a refreshing mix of Sade, Erykah Badu, Chrisette Michelle, Jill Scott and Sensi Love, but with Shanique Marie’s own eclectic, head rocking flair.
“When I did the last song, I couldn’t believe we were finished; I could have gone on all night,” squealed an enthusiastic Shanique Marie. “I particularly love ‘Valentine’s Day’ because it’s made up of just my vocals, which creates all the sounds of the rhythm and is the framework of the song.” 2014 is shaping up to be a big year for this unique vocalist. In addition to a string of live performances, fans can listen out for Shanique’s highly anticipated EP, which will be released in summer 2014 on iTunes.
I have an innate passion for music and it was also a major part of my up bringing, from a tender age, my family realized that I could pick up melodies quickly and I could even harmonize from very early on