She is known to the world as the queen of soca, but Barbadian artiste Alison Hinds is quick to make it clear that she is far from being one dimensional.

The artiste who shot to prominence with the band Square One and has since carved out a solo career with hits such as Roll it Gal, Iron Bazodee, Faluma and Togetherness has made her foray into the world of film.

Earlier this year, the 49-year-old teamed up with writer/director Marcia Weekes and producer Marietta Carter Narcisse to lead the cast in the film Joseph, which also stars Jamaicans Kevoy Burton and Christopher McFarlane. Hinds says having given acting a taste, she wants more.

“The director had seen me act in a local production here in Barbados, and decided once the role was set that she wanted me in this film. I had no hesitation, I knew it was something I wanted to do, so once I read the story, I was sold. We just had to check with management to see how it would work with my touring and performance schedule. Once that was cleared I blocked the time and went for it. I never want to have regrets in life so once the opportunity presented itself I just went for it,” Hinds told the Jamaica Observer recently following a performance at the historic Kensington Oval cricket ground in Barbados during the annual Crop Over Festival.

“We shot in Jamaica, and then in Ghana, Africa and that African experience was out of this world for me. Just being there and seeing the similarities, recognising that we are really just one people who have been dispersed throughout the Diaspora was amazing,” she continued.

Joseph tells the story of the conflicts in the life of an affluent, successful young Jamaican, who against the backdrop of the multitude of negative stereotypes portrayed about Africa in mainstream media is battling with his true identity.

Hinds, however, reassured her fans that music will always be part of her.

“I will always come back to my music. This film was just an opportunity that I took advantage of, and if more come my way and I can then I will definitely go ahead. I really would like to do more just to build my confidence on screen and my acting chops. I also want to invest in some training so I can become better and add some diversity to my product. But there will always be my music… I’m not giving that up at all,” she shared.

Joseph is set to première in Ghana come December, before opening in Nigeria in January and then move to the Caribbean region.