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breaks, whenever I could, to start a few projects. I started in Creole then French and finally after many deals went down the drain, I decided to move on to an English album. Even then, we still had a potential record deal that did not materialize. Quite honestly, all of this has been so frustrating and discouraging that it became more and more difficult to dedicate the time needed to my music. It is certainly my love for the art that gives me the motivation to keep trying even when I could not devote too much time to it. Now that the industry has changed because of the internet and the possibility that my team and I have to put this project together, a release is imminent.
What style of music should we expect from your upcoming project?
It will be a diverse and original album that encompasses my experiences in life from a small town girl of Haiti to a hard working woman in the big city of New York. Growing up in the Caribbean and, also, my numerous encounters with knowledgeable radio personalities and musicians have exposed me to the sounds of many different artists like Tracy Chapman, Sting, Tina Turner, Youssou N’dour, Michael Jackson, Prince, Sarah Vaughan, Marvin Gaye, Annie Lenox, Natalie Merchant, Peter Gabriel, John Lennon, REM, Magnum Band, Zeklè, Splash, Tanya St. Val, just to name a few. My writing, influenced by these artists and combined with the unique style of my producer, gave rise to a mix and fusion of POP, SOFT ROCK, JAZZ, R&B, HIPHOP and CARRIBEAN flavors. I’m confident that it will not disappoint ;)
--- After the indescribable and unfortunate event that my country just went through, I want to say that I’m even more dedicated to thrive in the music business in order to use my voice as a means to bring hope, express the sorrow and pain of my people and to help in any way that I can. My song, Hunger and Hope, was written and recorded for a documentary about Haiti as support for the foundation called Edeyo which had a school for small children that is now a pile of rubbles because of the earthquake. It’s a miracle that these children were not in the school when it happened but they are still not all accounted for. I’m putting ‘Hunger and Hope’ up for sale and donating 80% of my cut to the Edeyo Foundation. You can visit them and also donate at
www.edeyo.org.
Ahdeline, where are you from?
I come from a small town in the north of Haiti, called Petite Rivière de L’Artibonite.
Where do you think your love for music came from?
From what I’ve been told, at 3:00 am on a Thursday was when I decided to come into this world. A midwife suddenly woke up in the middle of the night with the premonition of my birth, rushed to my mother’s house and delivered me all the while humming a strange melody. I guess my connection with music happened that very moment :)
Besides, throughout my childhood I enjoyed singing and dancing for my older sisters’ entertainment. Every time a guest came over, I was called to perform the popular tunes of that time.
When did you know you wanted to be a singer?
Very early in my teen years, I always had a strong desire to pursue a singing career but was discouraged by an older sibling because of my raspy voice. Such tone was and still is very unusual in the Haitian music scene. It wasn’t until I discovered the music of singers like Tina Turner, Kim Carnes, and Sade that I learned to appreciate my peculiar voice. I then became my number one fan :)
When did you act upon the desire to make music?
When I moved to the capital, through a classmate I joined my first musical group, ‘Sunrise’. During that time, I met other great musicians who asked me to be a part of a new band, ‘Miza’. We then performed our first gig opening for a prominent band at the time called ‘Papash’. With the quick demise of Miza and a new bond with some of the members of Papash, I was called on to officially join them after lending my voice on some of their projects. That was my last and longest contribution to a musical group.
What makes you the kind artist you are now?
I’ve always had a special interest in learning, whether it would be musical or nonmusical subjects. So I spent most of my adolescence in various schools dabbling into different fields. Through diverse music schools and teachers, I skimmed through the upright base, piano, violin and dance. I even took some basic courses of journalism, communication, computer science and all that happened while I was still in high school. Because of the lack of coherence and continuation between all those different courses, I can’t say that I mastered any of these subjects ;) Nevertheless, as a whole, it helped me form a better understanding of music and life in general.
Why do you feel that it’s the right time for a solo album?
Well, when Papash moved to New York a few months after I joined them, I solely dedicated myself to the band for the whole time we were together until our dissolution. Shortly after, I stumbled into the cosmetic and skin care business where I quickly developed a fun and lucrative career. Even with all the time invested in the new job, I decided to enroll full time in college at Hofstra University, then Stony Brook, by cramming all my classes into my two days off.I must say that I’m very proud to have graduated in five years with honors for a double major in French and Spanish while earning a great reputation as a business manager in my field. Today, I decided to pursue my one and only passion which is music. I truly miss the feeling of sharing with others my sincere and deepest emotions through my words and melodies.
Wow, for many years, you did not seem to have had much time for music, did you?
During that time, I always used a few hours at night or during school
Nigel Barker - Rebuild Haiti
