Khamelien - Never Say Never

Release: Septmeber 6th 2008

The young performer's love affair with music began as a child. Khamelien remembers his first record as a young boy in Trinidad being of a reggae song called "Boy Blue."
"My uncle bought me a tape of a song that he liked and we listened together - it was an old reggae song 'Boy Blue.' And that's when it first started my mom was always into music, she and my dad. He was always into Carnival and the music scene, so that kind of influenced me with my music."
Boasting influences ranging from classic Kaiso from artists like Lord Kitchener, and David Rudder, legendary reggae acts like Bob Marley and Steel Pulse, to Americana singers like Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves, to British Pop/Rock giant Sting, Khamelien has a "broader view of music" and has fused the genres together to make them work uniquely for him.
Though his style is an intricate mixture of genres, Khamelien explains that Reggae has a special place in his heart.
"Growing up in Trinidad, Calypso was always my culture. But in Trinidad, as soon as carnival is done it switches back to Reggae. I was really into Reggae - don't get me wrong but I had a passion for Reggae just the way that it delivers the message. That's why I fell in love with Reggae. When I say deliver the message is that people can don't even understand what they're saying and they can simply feel the vibes, they can feel the message, you can feel the power of the music because it takes you to a place of humbleness and freedom and it takes us back to the way that we should be living. I use that aspect of reggae with my style and the energy and the hypeness of Calypso/Soca," explained Khamelien.
At around age 16, Khamelien immigrated to the United States. Before beginning that section many of his friends in Trinidad encouraged him to pursue a career in singing.
"I went to New York and my brother-in-law was always into music he was with a group called the Cut Throats, they did a cut on the Menace II Society soundtrack. He took me to the studio and I realized that that was where I wanted to be. He taught me how to write and I started writing and singing. Being able to come up and go there and get involved - actually seeing the production process that's when it really opened my eyes and my heart to that," said the crooner.
The singer has been working at his dream for a number of years and finally his debut album is on the way.