Kemoy Reid’s ‘RiseUp’ from anonymity
ON October 26, when Kemoy Reid takes to the red carpet at the Jamaica premiere of the award-winning feature-length documentary, RiseUp it will not be her initial foray into the limelight, as this self-proclaimed country girl has had ample practice as one of the documentary’s primary subjects.
RiseUp follows Reid and two other aspiring artistes on a highly informative and entertaining trod through Jamaica’s underground music scene, showcasing the unpretentious lifestyle of the Clarendon native who virtually transforms from a coy pubescent girl into a self-assured woman and mother.
Kemoy reckons that 10 years from now she will be releasing albums and touring the world. Her musical aspirations are by no means far-fetched, as she can carry a tune, even more so after receiving voice coaching from singer/ songwriter Suzanne Couch. The musical aspirant has proven her adaptability right in the course of filming RiseUp, and has had a studio session with Jamaica’s iconic producers, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. Not bad for a former bathroom singer.
In RiseUp Kemoy profoundly declares “I have music within me, so there will always be music for me.” In realising her statement the artiste has been racking up studio time, where she is working
on new material for her premiere album.
RiseUp directed by Argentina-born, Luciano Blotta and produced by Mark Hart and Darrin Holender opens in cinemas islandwide on October 27.