Four years ago she was a bubbly young girl who blew the country away with her powerhouse voice when she won the Star Guyana competition. More grown up these days and ever vivacious, Lisa Punch is burning up the airways with her latest single “My Inspiration”.
Lisa, accompanied by her mom who is also her manager, sat down with The Scene recently and shared what she has been up to since Star Guyana.
The now 18-year-old has released two singles since winning the competition in 2007. “My Inspiration”, an upbeat R&B love song is enjoying airplay on the local radio. The raspy-voice songstress says the song is about a girl who finds inspiration from her boyfriend, “It’s not just what he says but what he does that inspires her…and she loves him for that,” she explained.
And her first single, “Secret Admirer”, she says has been playing on an American radio, “My father’s friend told him that it is playing on the radio,” Lisa almost shrieked in excitement as she shared that titbit.
“It feels great,” is her response to her music being played on American radio. “On Facebook people are inboxing me telling me that they listen to the song on the train, in the shower, someone said it was their ring tone for a month!”
With an edgier look now, Lisa says that she has been making new music, growing and promoting herself locally.
‘Reloaded’
As she works on two new singles due for release next year in the studio of Brutal Tracks, Lisa says that she has been engaged in a series of mini concerts staring herself and her siblings. The concerts are aimed at promoting her music and name as well as raising funds for studio time.
At the Aracari Resort last week, she hosted “Lisa Punch Reloaded”, a variety concert. And she promises that she will be coming “bigger and better” utilising her voice as well as her dancing and acting talents which were crafted in high school.
Lisa’s mom and manager, Natieza Daniels said she hoped through the concerts, “to gain the best for her in terms of recognition. I know she has a great voice and I hope that somebody will hear her songs and support her to go international.”
The concerts will run for the rest of the year and will be taken throughout the country.
Becoming an international performer is the ultimate goal for Lisa. To this effort she says she has been sending her work to producers outside the Caribbean and has been getting “positive” feedback.
Meanwhile, Natieza explained that she became her daughter’s manager after she was not satisfied with the contracts Lisa received from persons showing interest in managing her. But she says once she finds the right person and is comfortable with the terms of the contract she will hand over the managing of her daughter. “I take the interest because she is my child and I love her and I don’t want anyone using her,” Natieza said.
Lisa said she is using this year to promote her music since she will be attending the University of Guyana come next year. There she plans to pursue studies in Communications or Political Science. She said she has always had an interest in politics and before she became hooked on music she wanted to become a lawyer.
Music dreams
Even as she aims for international stardom Lisa would like to see some of her local dreams come true first starting with more appreciation of local music and copyright laws.
“What I want here is for people to appreciate the music we put out. Day by day we going into the studio and working to make it but while we trying, please support us people,” she pleads. “What I want with all my heart and soul is copyright laws,” she added.
Lisa said she puts a lot of work into the creation of her music and feels it is unfair to have someone else copy her work without any punishment.
Meanwhile she expressed the hope of one day doing a collaboration with local reggae singer Mystic. “I love Mystic!” she exclaimed. Her music idols are R&B legend Whitney Huston and R&B sensation Ne-Yo.
