Photography by Zemamnash Campbell©
Photography by Stelianour Sani©
Melanie Jean's beautiful Trinidadian mother was a born musician and cultivated her daughter's passion for music from a young age. Guided by her mother to sing and learn classical instruments like the piano and violin, Melanie remembers when she would sit quietly beside her as she learnt to play. When Melanie was 15, her mother died suddenly from cancer. Shortly after, Melanie stopped playing the piano.
Raised by her British father in Wales, Melanie faced a difficult time with her brother as the only two children with darker complexions in a school of almost 2,000 pupils. She had few friends and endured a daily struggle to keep her spirits up. Concentrating instead on her schoolwork, Melanie earned a place at the University of Liverpool and a one-way ticket out of Wales.
In her 18 th year, she arrived in the modern city of Liverpool and was re-introduced to her first love: music. The bustling metropolis, home to The Beatles, had a live band scene that had Melanie's eyes twinkling and soon enough, her musical ambitions were back in full swing.
She moved to London after earning a degree and joined a four-girl, one-guy band called FunkAngelic. The indie-urban group had a unique sound that received praise from critics nationwide. Of the band's first single, RWD magazine called it, “a great debut track,” telling readers to, “expect big things from this group.” After touring the county, performing in front of thousands, FunkAngelic secured a distribution deal in the UK, Europe and Japan, boasted impressive record sales and filmed a music video for the second single, “Time”.
Today Melanie Jean has taken new direction and now stands alone as solo artist. With vocals as smooth as Sade's, a style as soulful as Ella Fitzgerald and versatility reminiscent of Diana Ross herself, Melanie has been inspired by a sophisticated selection of music icons. The 25 year-old singer's voice is undeniably distinctive, ever-moving her listeners with songs that caress the soul.
Currently working with British female producer, JPL (JoJo, Sean Mac and TWF) and Jud Mahoney (Eric Benet, Calvin Richardson, Tyrese), Melanie has conjured up some of her most delectable material yet. “Rollercoaster” is the breakthrough single from the passionate singer/songwriter's latest musical endeavours. An irresistibly catchy melody and, “Rollercoaster” features the lyrical rhymes of UK's most anticipated addition to the music industry, Darnell Swallow from Big Brother 9. It was produced by Jacqueline Pelham-Leigh aka JPL.
Constantly perfecting her craft, Miss Jean hopes to make a lasting and positive imprint on the music scene. “It is my dream to be a singer that can write and deliver songs that inspire and move people,” says a soft-spoken Melanie. Her extraordinarily warm and old-school soulful voice is certainly a rare find and her combined sound of pop and R&B melodies over an acoustic-based sound makes her style totally eclectic and yet accessible to all music lovers alike.