Tweet
(Jawge - you like this one?)
Nadine Willis says So What!
ROLAND HENRY, Observer staff reporter henryr@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, February 22, 2008
WILLIS . it's just my time now (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
It's late morning and supermodel-cum-artiste, Nadine Willis, is channelling Caribbean glam as she nestles in the dingy lounge chair inside Stage Recording Studio along Half-Way-Tree Road.
"You know I had to get the styling an' tings right," Willis quips, making reference to her navy-blue, ankle-length, empire-waist Lubica dress paired with Gucci slippers; delicately powdered face, gold earrings and her short do slicked back.
But this interview isn't about runways or the flashing lenses of world-famous photogs; it's about Willis' latest passion - music.
"I'm pushing So What! right now. that's my baby and I gotta get it out there," says Willis on Wednesday of her debut single, "the objective of the song is to tell people that material wealth isn't all."
Her penetrating eyes, warm smile and in-the-streets aura make it easy to listen to this Jamaican stunner, especially when she begins to talk of life before the glitz and glamour the modelling world brought her.
"I wanted the fast life, quick money so that's how I got involved with [exotic] dancing," Willis adds. Her bluntness seems to know no end as she continues: "A lot of young girls and guys in the ghetto go astray because dem want to live big. You have to take time and build yourself."
She is forthright, loud and lovable.
Still, with all that Willis has accomplished - as the Ghetto-to-Gucci/Caribbean-Cinderella-type, complete with all its trappings, her image emblazoned on billboards in New York City's Time Square, French Vogue shot by world-renowned photographers and fame - the acclaim hasn't gone to the former Waterhouse resident's head.
She is not in the least self-righteous.
"Still me naah go lick out 'gainst a girl fi do weh she haffi do fe get by," Willis shares, "I had a rough ride coming up, people said I couldn't make it as a model and I did."
These days, Willis seems to be experiencing déjà vu since, "People a seh me naah go mek it in the music industry. I'll work hard, night and day just to prove them wrong."
She's not worried though, she's used to transitions.
"I'm a person who loves to start new things. I enjoy my job as model and as a musician. I believe that both will work," Willis tells Splash, adding that she intends to pursue both careers.
"Modelling nuh ready fi put me down yet," she laughs before unapologetically announcing that unlike some artistes who "drag on anything and come to studio", she can never do that since her handlers at Pulse Modelling Agency have advised that she "always looks the part".
"I still have to get the make-up done; have the stylist; the entourage . that's just who I am now."
But looking the part is only half her strategy, staying committed to artistry is the other.
Commitment, for Willis, translates into regular studio sessions and paying close attention to her mentor and Pulse boss Kingsley Cooper's advice.
Cooper and his brother 'Grub' (writer/producer of So What!) are men she respects deeply.
"They gave me a chance when no one else did," Willis says. "Kingsley is my biggest support; he's been there through the rough times. He's not in music anymore but because of me him pick it up back and is helping me learn the ropes."
'Ropes 101' complete, Willis intends to further indulge herself in music.
"People know my face as a model, but not as an artiste, so I'm working on that," she says, adding that though she admires performers like Spice, Ce'Cile and Lady Saw - whom she refers to as "Mumma Dancehall"- she has no interest in recording lewd music.
"I don't think it's right for me to tell a young girl to skin out and dem tings. even Lady Saw is changing the kind of material she do because she realise it doesn't work for her anymore," Willis adds, "I'm gonna be coming with what works best for Nadine."
"Most of my songs will be reality tunes . I'm not saying that being sexy isn't a part of reality, but for now, I want to work on conscious music," Willis says, joking that her Rastafarian brother - who disapproved of her dancing - must be proud of the music she records.
"I want to be known for quality music," Willis tells Splash flashing her hands as if dismissing the idea of sexually explicit music.
"I've experienced so much, lived so much life that I have enough experiences to sing 'bout," she says, "I wanna be like Bob Marley, his whole life was a song."
The debut single, Willis says, has been getting some airplay and she says she plans on releasing at least three more singles by summer's end.
She sighs and the conversation meanders to artiste life.
"It hard, it hard, harder than modelling. sometime I leave the studio like two and three 'o' clock a mornin'," she says, "it drains me. this artiste thing is 24/7 so when I'm not in studio, I'm at Asylum or The Quad promoting my single, making sure the deejay dem play it."
Still she's enjoying every minute of it.
"The first time I performed I was scared as hell, but I did it," she says, her almond-shaped eyes lighting up as she speaks of her upcoming performance on The Miss Universe Road Show this Saturday and Sunday (February 23, 24) at Portmore Pines Plaza and Pulse complex, respectively.
She is as much a strategist as she is a dreamer.
"Well, in five years I'd love to establish myself as an artiste, maybe even win two Grammy," Willis laughs, "it possible." Willis, a woman of great faith, believes that she has come full circle since music, not modelling, is her first love. After all, it's not often people get a second saviour.
"Nothing never happen before the time, it's just my time now."
Nadine Willis says So What!
ROLAND HENRY, Observer staff reporter henryr@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, February 22, 2008
WILLIS . it's just my time now (Photo: Bryan Cummings)It's late morning and supermodel-cum-artiste, Nadine Willis, is channelling Caribbean glam as she nestles in the dingy lounge chair inside Stage Recording Studio along Half-Way-Tree Road.
"You know I had to get the styling an' tings right," Willis quips, making reference to her navy-blue, ankle-length, empire-waist Lubica dress paired with Gucci slippers; delicately powdered face, gold earrings and her short do slicked back.
But this interview isn't about runways or the flashing lenses of world-famous photogs; it's about Willis' latest passion - music.
"I'm pushing So What! right now. that's my baby and I gotta get it out there," says Willis on Wednesday of her debut single, "the objective of the song is to tell people that material wealth isn't all."
Her penetrating eyes, warm smile and in-the-streets aura make it easy to listen to this Jamaican stunner, especially when she begins to talk of life before the glitz and glamour the modelling world brought her.
"I wanted the fast life, quick money so that's how I got involved with [exotic] dancing," Willis adds. Her bluntness seems to know no end as she continues: "A lot of young girls and guys in the ghetto go astray because dem want to live big. You have to take time and build yourself."
She is forthright, loud and lovable.
Still, with all that Willis has accomplished - as the Ghetto-to-Gucci/Caribbean-Cinderella-type, complete with all its trappings, her image emblazoned on billboards in New York City's Time Square, French Vogue shot by world-renowned photographers and fame - the acclaim hasn't gone to the former Waterhouse resident's head.
She is not in the least self-righteous.
"Still me naah go lick out 'gainst a girl fi do weh she haffi do fe get by," Willis shares, "I had a rough ride coming up, people said I couldn't make it as a model and I did."
These days, Willis seems to be experiencing déjà vu since, "People a seh me naah go mek it in the music industry. I'll work hard, night and day just to prove them wrong."
She's not worried though, she's used to transitions.
"I'm a person who loves to start new things. I enjoy my job as model and as a musician. I believe that both will work," Willis tells Splash, adding that she intends to pursue both careers.
"Modelling nuh ready fi put me down yet," she laughs before unapologetically announcing that unlike some artistes who "drag on anything and come to studio", she can never do that since her handlers at Pulse Modelling Agency have advised that she "always looks the part".
"I still have to get the make-up done; have the stylist; the entourage . that's just who I am now."
But looking the part is only half her strategy, staying committed to artistry is the other.
Commitment, for Willis, translates into regular studio sessions and paying close attention to her mentor and Pulse boss Kingsley Cooper's advice.
Cooper and his brother 'Grub' (writer/producer of So What!) are men she respects deeply.
"They gave me a chance when no one else did," Willis says. "Kingsley is my biggest support; he's been there through the rough times. He's not in music anymore but because of me him pick it up back and is helping me learn the ropes."
'Ropes 101' complete, Willis intends to further indulge herself in music.
"People know my face as a model, but not as an artiste, so I'm working on that," she says, adding that though she admires performers like Spice, Ce'Cile and Lady Saw - whom she refers to as "Mumma Dancehall"- she has no interest in recording lewd music.
"I don't think it's right for me to tell a young girl to skin out and dem tings. even Lady Saw is changing the kind of material she do because she realise it doesn't work for her anymore," Willis adds, "I'm gonna be coming with what works best for Nadine."
"Most of my songs will be reality tunes . I'm not saying that being sexy isn't a part of reality, but for now, I want to work on conscious music," Willis says, joking that her Rastafarian brother - who disapproved of her dancing - must be proud of the music she records.
"I want to be known for quality music," Willis tells Splash flashing her hands as if dismissing the idea of sexually explicit music.
"I've experienced so much, lived so much life that I have enough experiences to sing 'bout," she says, "I wanna be like Bob Marley, his whole life was a song."
The debut single, Willis says, has been getting some airplay and she says she plans on releasing at least three more singles by summer's end.
She sighs and the conversation meanders to artiste life.
"It hard, it hard, harder than modelling. sometime I leave the studio like two and three 'o' clock a mornin'," she says, "it drains me. this artiste thing is 24/7 so when I'm not in studio, I'm at Asylum or The Quad promoting my single, making sure the deejay dem play it."
Still she's enjoying every minute of it.
"The first time I performed I was scared as hell, but I did it," she says, her almond-shaped eyes lighting up as she speaks of her upcoming performance on The Miss Universe Road Show this Saturday and Sunday (February 23, 24) at Portmore Pines Plaza and Pulse complex, respectively.
She is as much a strategist as she is a dreamer.
"Well, in five years I'd love to establish myself as an artiste, maybe even win two Grammy," Willis laughs, "it possible." Willis, a woman of great faith, believes that she has come full circle since music, not modelling, is her first love. After all, it's not often people get a second saviour.
"Nothing never happen before the time, it's just my time now."
Comment