(Barbados Nation) Melanie Fiona, coming in to perform Sunday at the Naniki Jazz Safari, speaks about her music and her life during an exclusive interview with the WEEKEND NATION.
“My roots have a lot of influence in my music. Absolutely.
“All of my family emigrated from Guyana to Canada, but I was born in Toronto. My culture is alive and well in my life in my heart. It has really been the foundation for how I separated myself from the rest when I first started doing music because I wasn’t the black American girl when I came into the US music scene.
“When you listen to my albums or come to my shows you will always hear an element of reggae or calypso or something because I am so proud of my heritage . . . the food, the culture, the music,” she said. “I love my identity and it’s a big part of my music.”
The artiste, who has also written for Bajan superstar Rihanna, also said she has crossed many bridges to get to where she is now in the music industry.