Underground13: 2016-03-27

International Stars with Caribbean Roots

With everything that’s going on the world today, we sometimes just want things to be simple and a bit carefree. I know how it is, I get it, so I’ve decided to make things light and entertaining…but you’re still gonna learn something…I guarantee that!

The Caribbean seems to have done a lot more for music than we think. There are so many artists that you never knew had Caribbean roots and some of the bigger names in music of the '70's and '80's came from right here in T&T. The entire world knows that artists like Rihanna came from Barbados and Nikki Minaj was born in St. James, Trinidad, but there are so many more artists that came out of these tropical islands.

Haddaway's, "What is Love," went on to be the number one club song of the eighties and is still considered so to this day.

It was also the soundtrack for Saturday Night Live's full length movie, "Night at the Roxbury." Remember these guys...

Billy Ocean was born in Fyzabad, Trinidad and was the most popular R&B singer in the 1970's and 80's. He won a Grammy in 1985 for "Caribbean Queen," was made a companion of the Liverpool Institute for performing Arts and is an active member of the Rastafari movement. He's the voice behind hits like "Suddenly and "The Long and Winding Road."

Harry Belfonte was born to a Jamaican mother and Martinican father. He was a singer and actor (starring alongside Dorothy Dandridge in the movie "Carmen"). This is the guy that sang "The Banana Boat Song," you know, "...Day-o, me say Day-o, daylight come and meh wah go home."If you think it's familiar, that's because you may have heard it in numerous movies. Another of his hits, "Jump In The Line," became an instant history maker and was also featured in many hollywood movies, most notably, BeetleJuice.

For all you R&B lovers, you may be happy to know that Alicia Keys has some Caribbean roots. The singers father is Jamaican.

And making the cut is... the lovely Melanie Fiona! She has collaborated with artist like Ceelo Green and Stephen Marley. She also wrote songs for artists like Rihanna, was in a band with Drake and toured with Alicia Keys. Melanie's parent are from Guyana.

Lianne La Havas is a folk and soul singer with a distinct, soothing voice. She became a household name through her song, " Is Your Love Big Enough," out of the album of the same name. Lianne's mother is from Jamaica.

Surprise, surprise, bet you didn't know Beyonce had some caribbean roots. That's right, Mrs. Carter has ties in the Bahamas through her father who was born there.

That's it...there's nothing else I can tell you about Beyonce that you don't already know...oh! Except...did you know there's actually a religion formed around her? Man I tell you...move over Christianity! That was completely off topic, I know...moving along...

Another offspring of the Bahamas is rock star Lenny Kravitz. Known for hits such as, "Again," "American Woman," "Are You Gonna Go My Way," and "Chamber." Kravitz is also an accomplished actor and you may have seen him in The Hunger Games movies. He's also the father of Zoe Kravtiz, so that would make him 52-years-old and looking like that...#blackdontcrack.

Ladies, I gave you Lenny, now I give you Maxwell...*swoons* ...

Maxwell is a singer, songwriter, producer and actor. He's credited alongside De'Angelo and Erykah Badu for shaping the genre Neo Soul into what it is today. Maxwell is also one of the headline acts at the Tobago Jazz Festival this year (look out for more on that next week, same time, same place). Maxwell is half Spanish, half Haitian.

Will.i.am, Rapper, producer and judge on The Voice, has strong caribbean roots as both his parents are from Jamaica.

So it seems like we have a Jamaican takeover...Rapper Busta Rhymes parents are from Jamaica...

The late and ever so great rapper Biggie Smalls parents are from Jamaica...

Singer Mya's father is Jamaican...

Oh man, this list can go on and on and could take forever...the Caribbean has produced many artists that have made great contributions to music. Even in Trinidad and Tobago, right at this moment, there are talented individuals working under the radar as singers, musicians and writers for international artists. If we won't accept and appreciate them here, then the rest of the world will and we'll be left wondering what would be the state of our music at Carnival next year. So let's not limit ourselves...this just shows you that no matter where in the world you are from, if your music is good, no one can deny you.

Before I go, I'll leave you with a small list of actors that you didn't know had Caribbean roots.I know it's not music, but let's recognize our Caribbean brothers and sisters!