Caribbean Beat — November/December 2018 (#154)

The BBC was there to interview me that day when I
arrived from Salzburg. That miraculousness of it —
it was more than just being at the BBC Proms. When
you see four black singers on the Salzburg stage,
which has never happened before in the history of
Salzburg, there’s something more to that than just
being at the Salzburg Festival.
I
love to be a part of new productions, where
people have new concepts. Friends of mine who
are in jazz say that, in classical music, we have
what’s on the page and we just do what’s there. We
have to change that perspective. What I would love
audiences to further appreciate is that there are
different voices, different backgrounds of people,
different experiences — that we all bring ourselves
to the paper, to the music. So what I would express
in my voice, in my instrument, would not be the
same as the people who they love listening to on
CDs and records from back in the day.
I listen to every other type of music. I explore
other singers and other operas, but I also widen my
range and keep up with what’s happening in the rest
of the world. Those other artforms teach me about
life and how to bring different elements into my acting,
into my craft, into my appearances — because
ultimately our artform is competing with them, so
we have to know what’s going on in other artforms.
Of course, I am from Trinidad and Tobago, so soca
and calypso is a must. And I’m also learning more
about our folk songs. So that’s been an eye-opener,
with learning more about my heritage, and about
why we have so many sad, sad folk songs. That is
overwhelming. And if it’s happy, it’s about food!
I don’t want to be a specialist in any one period
or composer — I want to sing everything. Hey, I’m
from Trinidad and Tobago. We could do anything!
Everything! Anything you put in front of us — we
know how to do it, because we were taught here
in school to achieve anything. Convent was good
for that. Part of my vision is to highlight that the
classical artform is part of our heritage in Trinidad
and Tobago, in its own right, and has influenced
the evolution of folk and steelpan music and other
indigenous artforms. It should not be dismissed
but rather valued. So I want to keep working, keep
my vision board in check, stay very close to God,
and to keep spreading the message of equality and
diversity through my music.
I am just starting. Last year was a whirlwind,
and it’s propelled me forward. The roles I have now
are roles I want to do, should be doing, and safe
for my voice, to help it grow. People might say that
because of my age, there are other people starting
earlier than me . . . or some people might say that
I’m very young and I have a lot of time. I think that
I am in a really perfect place right now. It couldn’t
be more perfect, honestly, with my career. n
In November and December 2018, Jeanine
de Bique will be performing in France,
Italy, Germany, Hungary, Australia, and the
United States. For more information on her
schedule, visit jeaninedebique.com
68 WWW.CARIBBEAN-BEAT.COM