STAR on the Rise: Sashae is 'TRANSFORMED'

Although singjay Sashae is on the rise, that hasn’t stopped her from jumping out of the box and scooping up for herself something that even a few well-established acts are yet to call their own.

Actually, it was on September 19 this year that Sashae released her full-length debut album, not an EP. But why on earth would an artiste who is yet to secure a firm foothold in the music business go this route? As she explained to THE STAR, she wanted a bang. “I entered Magnum in 2011 and placed in the top eight, but then I did other things in addition to music, so the focus wasn’t there. But now I am ready and in August I came back fully into the business, so my management thought an album would be a good way to announce it,” she said, adding that Transformation, as the project is titled, contains 19 tracks. Interestingly, 16 of the tracks are brand new.

Stumbling block

Sashae admits that her failure to capitalise on the buzz on her name years ago was a stumbling block in her musical path, but she has no regrets, because all that she has learnt has been for her own good. For example, she now has her own designing business which does headboards and in-store decor, and, she also worked in the accounting field for two years, honing her skills in business.

However, now that she has employed a few persons and the business can take care of itself, Sashae insists that she is fully ready for the rigours of a music career. And she recognises that this is not simply about picking up where she left off; it is more like she is starting all over again, but with more experience and a proper team in place. “From 2012 to 2016, I did Sting every year, and in 2015, I had a clash with Candy K and Reggae Queen, and even then I didn’t have a song that the people really knew,” she recalled. Not surprising then that persons may have a challenge remembering this artiste.

Sound systems scene

A product of Greater Portmore, Yonique Richards, as she was christened, attended Bridgeport High School, where she performed at concerts and other functions held at the institution. She was also a regular on sound systems in the St Catherine area, such as Embassy International and Flava Unit, with whom she performed on weekends, creating lyrics on the spot. Her early repertoire includes songs such as Wi Deh Deh, Don’t Fall in Love and Gangsta Love, and her new release, Kush Meds.

According to Sashae, she is “still hot and still great at what I’m doing musically”.