Goldie glows on Far Away
In an era of single-name female singers, Goldie knows the importance of being different. That is the goal each time she records a song, such as Far Away, her latest release.
Far Away is a reggae-tinged number produced by Lennox Lawrence, a Jamaican she credits for introducing her to his country’s culture. She believes it has the goods to be her breakout single.
“ Far Away is an international song. I am confident it will be an international hit. It has the right lyrics, the beat has a pop-reggae feel and is dope. We are ready to take it to the world,” she said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer’s Splash. “The video is now done and ready to be launched. We are hitting Jamaica, England, Australia, Amsterdam, Africa, Tokyo, Mexico. It’s about going to a secret place, getting away, and that’s how we intend to market it.”
Born in New York to parents from Cuba and the Dominican Republic, Goldie said Latin music was the sound of choice in her home as a child. She describes Marc Anthony, J Lo, Bad Bunny, Romeo Santos, Aventura, Maluma and Shakira as “my heroes” and ”still to this day I enjoy listening to all Spanish music”.
She has also experimented with hip hop, another early influence. That sound can be heard on songs like Trouble which she did with Oran Jones Jr, as well as The Golden Truffle, her first EP, which was released late last year.
The Golden Truffle contained the song Airplane Mode, which got favourable traction in urban markets.
“The momentum after the release of the EP was awesome. It turned heads and got the ears of people in the music industry who started to realise that I could really sing and also write songs. I acquired a lot of new fans and admirers who logged on in droves to my social media sites,” said Goldie. “It gave momentum to new opportunities and performances, which eventually led to the writing and creation of Far Away and a trip to Jamaica to record the video in Ocho Rios.”
Goldie’s preference in Jamaican music is dancehall. Her playlist includes songs by Buju Banton, Sean Paul, Shaggy, Mavado, and Popcaan.
While in Kingston in March, she attended Buju Banton’s Long Walk to Freedom concert at the National Stadium. The visit allowed her to network with dancehall’s major players, an opportunity on which she hopes to capitalise.
“It was exhilarating attending the event. Talk about the industry folks I met while on the island was to die for, the trip was one for the history books,” she said.