By Tieanna Jordan
Singer and songwriter Karissia Couchman has been making a name for herself on the local music scene.
The young creative believes she was born with the talent to perform and to share her culture and experiences through her songwriting, which she has done over the past year on various stages across the country.
Karissia is one of the youngest members of the indigenous band, “The Couchman Family.” Over the years, the band has been able to establish itself as a household name across the country. Her determination to pursue her dream has propelled her to work day and night to perfect her craft.
“Yes I grew up in a musical home, where everyone is talented and I wanted to continue doing just that – music, dance, singing, performing,” she explained.
With the mountain of support she has received, the local artiste has released four songs, “Let’s Go,” “Amerindians of Guyana,” “Welcome to Guyana” and most recently “Cricket Carnival Time.” Each song uniquely highlights different aspects of Guyana’s rich and diverse culture.
Though she was born into a family of tremendous talent, her journey into the music industry was not an easy one and she has endured a few hiccups along the way.
“Meeting studio fees to pay for [song] recordings has been a major challenge,” she explained.
However, for the creation of the music video for her hit song “Welcome to Guyana,” Karissia managed to secure sponsorship from the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, the Guyana Tourism Authority, and Rainforest Tours, among others. As a songwriter, her inspiration comes from her genuine love for music, her family and her culture.
“My family has contributed to my journey tremendously,” Karissia shared, “they always have advice and guidance and encourage me to pursue my goals.”
Within the last year, Karissia has had the opportunity to showcase her talent locally at a few major events.
She performed at concerts hosted by President Irfaan Ali and First Lady Arya Ali during the 2021 Christmas season.
She also graced the stage at the National Flag Raising Ceremony held in commemoration of Guyana’s Republic Anniversary, the Independence Night concert held in Anna Regina, the National Toshaos’ dinner and recently the Amerindian Heritage Cultural Extravaganza held at the National Stadium.
Karissia shared that being able to represent her country respectably and sharing the local stage with other artists brings her immense joy and definitely stand out among the highlights of her career so far,
She is grateful to everyone who has contributed to her career so far, especially her family, because without them she wouldn’t have had such a strong foundation for her musical career. T
he young singer is currently working on a Christmas song, which fans will be able to enjoy during the festive Christmas season.
Her hope is to one day represent Guyana on the international stage, as a proud role model for the country’s indigenous community.
Karissia’s advice to aspiring singers and songwriters is “to trust the process. Remember to pray and give thanks to God because he always knows best.”
Persons interested in showing their support to the local artiste and following her journey can subscribe to her YouTube channel ‘Karissia Official’ or follow her on her Facebook page, @Karissia.
