When rhythm, melody and prose unite, there’s magic. A song can soothe the angry heart, bring joy to the saddest of souls and inspire a generation to succeed. The magicians who create these phenomena, are to celebrated and loved. One such magician hails from a vibrant village in the south of Dominica known as Grand Bay. Her name? Michele Henderson. From the tender age of two she was already honing her craft, singing at church, where her father played the guitar. Michele grew up in a musical family and was nurtured in the art of singing and song writing by her parents Marguerite-rose and Lambert Henderson. She was enrolled at the Kairi School of music where she learned to play recorder and flute while landing leading roles in the school’s choir productions on account of her strong voice and remarkable stage presence. Her music teacher, Ms Pearle Christian, described her as “a sprite of a girl” who at age nine showed signs of great promise.
Michele continued on to join the jazz band “impact!” at age 15 where she served as lead singer and flautist. The band enjoyed a brief stint at the top of the local music scene, releasing one album before breaking up in 1997. During that time, Michele also became involved with the calypso scene, arranging and recording background vocals on several albums for local calypsonians. She was also featured on an album of one of Dominica’s most famous bands, the WCK. She went on to play a pivotal role in the release of three albums commemorating the annual World Creole Music Festival held in Dominica during its independence season. Michele rose to prominence as a singer songwriter in those years and began to seek new challenges. Roland Delsol Jr, former bass player of “impact!” whom Michele later married, took on the task of producing her first solo album self titled, Michele Henderson. The album received glowing reviews and earned Michele her first international live performances. She was featured at the Grenada Spice Jazz Festival alongside Nestor Torres and Third World and the St. Lucia Jazz Festival. From then on, the calls came in from around the region and Europe for Michele to perform live at various festivals. She continued to record albums and make videos which gained her popularity in the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique and had a number one hit on the Zouk charts in France. She has shared the billing with international stars like Green Day and The Foo Fighters at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark, headlined the Jazz Artists on the Green and Jazz on the Hill festivals in Trinidad and Virgin Gorda respectively and contributed to charity worldwide by performing at fund raising events in London, New York and Hollywood. Michele has recorded 6 albums and one DVD to date with the latest project, “Home”, being published by extended release. She has shared the stage with a wide range of artists the likes of Taylor
Dayne, Chick Corea and Doug E. Fresh. With so much international experience under her belt, she has become a seasoned artist whose live performances leave audiences astounded at her level of talent and prowess. Michele also writes successfully for other artists some of whom have participated in and won local talent competitions.
In all of this, Michele has found time to have a family and engage in local activities on her island. She is the mother of two, director of two local businesses, board member of Crime stoppers Dominica, spokesperson for the Home at Heart Foundation and an officially appointed Goodwill Ambassador to Dominica. She continues to record and perform getting better with time. Michele is of the opinion that “the best is yet to come” in her career. For her, there is still more magic to be made!
Source: http://www.michelemuzic.com/
