Reggaeton performer Rakell Sa wasn't satisfied with just listening to Jamaican music . She wanted to drench herself in it.

The 23-year-old visited Jamaica early last year and decided to make the island her home.

"I had always visited for the summer holidays and I fell in love with the music," said Rakell, a native of Brazil. She told TEENage that she has always had an affinity for the performing arts, having started dancing at eight and singing at 14 years old. For her, music is more than a beat, it's a genetic bond.

"I was surrounded by musicians and singers in my family so I guess it was always in my blood," Rakell said She added that her first taste of stardom came from being a member of Tentaciones (Temptations) -a group she and her cousins had started some years ago back in Brazil.

Rakell speaks about her passion for reggae music. (Photos: Naphtali Junior)

"It was fun and a way to break out and see that performing is something I really want to do."

But even with her love for music, Rakell found time to obtain a degree in business administration- an asset she could "fall back on". After moving to Spain at age 17, Rakell decided that she needed to change the pace of her life and opted for Jamaica. She admitted that she isn't starting a career in Jamaica for the money, but for the love of what Jamaica has to offer.

"I hope to learn as much as possible from the manager and producers I hope to work with," she said.

The young artiste has just started looking for a manager and is crossing her fingers for someone in particular.
"I am only at liberty to say that we are looking over the contracts to finalise the deal."

Until then, Rakell has been keeping herself busy in the studio, recording. Her first single I Will has been getting steady airplay and reviews from people and she has also recorded a dancehall-inspired song called Fire, a track produced by Steven Mcgregor.

She also recorded a Reggaeton tune and hopes that it too will get a favourable response.

She said that artistes like Tami Chynn, Tessanne Chin, Lady Saw, Busy Signal and Tony Matterhorn inspire her to want to work more closely with dancehall material.

When she is not recording, Rakell spends time writing new material and training her voice. She told TEENage that this summer, she is looking forward to "real Jamaican style" partying. Fluent in both Portuguese and Spanish, Rakell used her first year in Jamaica to improve her English.

She has now discovered Patois and hopes to perfect it as she continues to interact with Jamaicans. You can listen to her single I Will at www.myspace.com/rakellsa and also look for updates on her career.

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