Recently, I had the honor of interviewing reggae artist Sister Carol in the offices of Tuff Gong International in New York City. Sister Carol received a Grammy nomination for her 1996 album, Lyrically Potent (HB 213) and gained national recognition through her appearances in the Jonathan Demme films Something Wild and Married to the Mob. She recently released a new album, Isis, on Tuff Gong Records

BT: Why don't you start by just telling us a bit about your youth in Jamaica and the importance of the music and the culture in those early days.

Sister Carol: Well, first of all, I want to greet you in the name of the most high, Jah Rastafari. I grew up in West Kingston, in area very much what they call "ghetto ghetto," always rich with the country music and the culture. So, as a youth growing up, I was exposed to music. I could sing as early as 3 years old. I was surrounded by sound systems, jukeboxes, constant radio. Everywhere was music, y'know. I didn't really have much of a choice. I was surrounded by music so I had to become a part of it. I was always involved in music, whether in school or in church. I knew somewhere down the line later on in life, I'd be doing music.

BT: It's interesting that you say you couldn't really avoid it. How was music connected through all these areas of your life?

Sister Carol: In all that I was surrounded by, the music to me was like my favorite treat. I was never down, I was never depressed, I never knew there was poverty. I didn't realize all these things existed, because I was really concentrating pon the music. The music brought me so much joy that I felt I had to be a part of it.

BT: What song titles or artists are we talking about here?

Sister Carol: We're talking about just all the artists from the past, artists from America, artists from Europe, 'cause in Jamaica we listen to different radio stations and we get everything. So we infuenced by everything and everybody. Y'know, R&B, gospel, funk, disco, the music was always there from when I was a child. In my area where I was living, I was living in front of a very famous Jamaican studio called Treasure Isle. The guy in charge was Duke Reid and all these artists used to just come and hang out, artists be going in or be coming out or just hanging around. So I been exposed to this since I was a child. And my father was also a radio engineer for the Jamaica radio station, Radio Jamaica. And he always used to bring home music, 'cause he had another job working with studio managers, so we always used to get the records like first cut. So I was surounded by music, I couldn't really avoid getting involved.

BT: When did you actually start getting involved, making your own music?

Sister Carol: Professionally, I started making music in 1981.

BT: That was after you came to the States. Was that well after?

Sister Carol: Yeah, it as well after. I came to America in 1973, and then like regular youth, just go to high school, college. During my college years, something just jolted me to start doing this. I met Brigadier Jerry and was inspired by his DJ style. I start doing that, as well as find my own niche, my own style, and started improving upon my style. Writing, producing, and performing, all the different attributes of it.

BT: So you were inspired by music in your youth and then you came to the States. Was that a seamless transition? Did you come here with certain musical goals?

Sister Carol: I always knew, but I didn't have certain goals. I came to America as a teenager, 13, 14, I came because my parents moved here. My parents came here to enable themselves with better jobs, more work opportunities. So we really didn't have a choice, we just had to come along. I didn't really come here to do music, I just came as a normal child, to go to school and all a dat. It's really a first love of mine, whereever I am, I'm always involved somewhere. I used to sing for my friends in high school. I used to perform sometimes in chemistry lab, physics lab. I just did little shows for them, little things. It's always a part of my life.

BT: And once you started with the music, when did you realize that you were really going to be successful at it? Was there a moment that you recognize as a breakthrough point for you?

Sister Carol: When I recorded my first song, entitled "The Black Cinderella," I had this feeling as if "Yes, this is it! Something's gonna happen. I don't know what, I don't know where, I don't know when, but this is it." I just took initiative from there to really stay focused and took time out to write some good lyrics and improve my style. I put a lot of work into it.

BT: How would you explain "The Black Cinderella?"

Sister Carol: Well, back in Jamaica growing up as a youth, whenever I recognized things that I'm against, like there's a lot of political crime in the area, sometimes shooting involved with politics, things like discrimination and racism, things that I identified in my youth that I didn't like. I immediately saw them as the stepsisters or my stepmother, relating back to the same story as the book. I always felt like Cinderella, not being able to have the chance to do or to have certain things I might have desired as a child. I was never really seeking a Prince Charming, per se, to redeem me, I was more looking for something to happen by the Creator. And I knew that it would always be music. 'Cause as a youth, that's what brought joy to me, the music, every time. So as a youth, when I first heard this song, when I was 12 years old, I heard this song by a brother called Errol Donkley, he used to sing this song, "Where Can I Find My Black Cinderella?" And I was having this feeling, like I was a Cinderella. When I heard him singing that song, I said, "That must be me!" And when I start singing, I took that name on, as Sister Carol, Black Cinderella.

BT: How do you think the role of a Rasta DJ differs from the typical vocalist for a band or from a pop singer?

Sister Carol: Well, to me, a Rasta is obligated to edify and to educate the people, and to bring about a sense of awareness, just bringing people together, always preaching peace and love and unity. You're charged to do that from when you say you are a Rasta. It's like, that's literally your job. It's not about seeking fame and fortune and getting guys or girls. When you say you are a Rasta, you have a job. You are charged to do something positive.

BT: There's been a lot of controversy with some of the dancehall artists of the past 10-15 years. Do you think that's something that's been lost?

Sister Carol: What do you mean when you say "a controversy?"

BT: Well, that some of the messages of love and togetherness aren't as present in some of the major artists that have come out of Jamaica.

Sister Carol: It's because of things like that why I'm obligated to keep doing what I'm doing. Because we're so few.

BT: You have a degree in Education. You went to CUNY, City College?

Sister Carol: Yes, City College of New York.

BT: Obviously, there's a connection there, because you emphasize a lot of education in the music.

Sister Carol: Yeah, mon. Yeah, mon. When I first started to college, I was more trying to be a nurse, to please my Mom, but that wasn't what I wanted to do. I found what I wanted to do, and I wantedto be an educator. And after I achived that, I found how beneficial it was to really enhance what I'm doing in the music, because I then used the music as my medium to educate and to teach. Instead of getting up everyday and going to a classroom and teach 25 students for a day, I be making music for the world. I can reach more people, I can cover more areas. I'm more in control. There's no limits, there's no curriculum that I must follow. I could really tell the truth, as opposed to when you're really teaching in the system, you have to go by what they say.

BT: So if you're looking at a kid growing up in Queens, NYC, today, going through the New York City school system, how does a young boy or girl find the right channels for education?

Sister Carol: Well, I'm always aware of what's happening in the school system because of my experience. So what I do sometimes, what I do on each and every album, I build songs, each of my songs are like lesson plans that you can listen to and learn something from. You not going to listen to my song and learn your 2 times table. You're going to listen to my song and I'm going to emphasize the importance of your education and how you should take it seriously. I cover different issues in different songs. This [Isis] is my fifth album. Each album I cover topics I might not cover on the previous album before. I find if you have like, let's say for example, you have a health educational class really teach the awareness of sex education and learn about the importance of HIV. It's positive for them to have that information and all a dat. But I find it more invading when I sing about it, when I put music to it, when I put lyrics to it, for them to understand and to identify with what I'm saying. It's like that. Each song of mine is like a lesson plan that you can learn something from. I have a song on my album what we call "Herbaceutical" instead of pharmaceutical. You can listen to my song and if you have a cold, you might go try something I said.

BT: In terms of your composition, would you say that the lyrics always come first?

Sister Carol: It varies. Sometimes I'm just playing with like a melody in mind and then sometimes the lyrics come to me, sometimes I might hear a rhythm and it sparks something in me. Sometimes, y'know, there's just a particular area that I need to cover.

BT: Who are the musicians that you like working with these days?

Sister Carol: Well, most of my work are done here in New York, with the musicians here in New York City and some of the musicians out of Jamaica. I have my musical director, who's name is Noel Alphonso. He's also the son of Roland Alphonso. He's a very, very bright, talented young man where music is concerned. We work a lot together, we work together for about 10, 15 years. And different musicians like Junior Jazz, Val Douglas, One Drop, Horace James...

BT: What about just from the history of Jamaican music? Who are some of your favorite musicians, the ones that have inspired you the most?

Sister Carol: I like the music of the past, the way they play the music with lively instrument back in the day, numerous amount of talented people in Jamaican music. Sometimes the people don't even know how to read music, they just play so well 'cause they got the vibe.

BT: You've talked a lot about the stuff you listened to early on. What do you listen to these days?

Sister Carol: I listen to everything. I listen to a lot of rap, r&b, funk, gospel. I listen to everything, 'cause I'm an artist.

BT: Well, out of the past five albums you've listened to, say, what's been steady on your turntable?

Sister Carol: Well, I've had Lauryn Hill running for a while, y'know? And I've kind of moved over to listening to a lot of Dennis Brown.

BT: Any classic reggae albums that always have a place?

Sister Carol: Well, there's so many classic albums, it's really hard for me, I have more than 2000 CDs. I listen to everybody so I can have inspiration and vibe from everybody. Music from Studio One, from Heartbeat, from VP, everyone.

BT: OK, thanks for all the info.

Sister Carol: I just want to say it's certainly a pleasure talking to you and I applaud you for transmitting the information to people. With this going out, it's another medium as opposed to magazines or radio or live performance. So what you're doing is positive, it's contribution, like I'm singing, you're doing this. I applaud what you're doing and keep on doing it. I really want to take time out also to big up and support my fans who have been supporting me over the years. Last time, they nominated me for a Grammy, for best reggae album. This time, I hope we can WIN a Grammy for the best reggae album! 'Nuff love and respect!