Yeza the Rebel
If there is one thing about music and Jamaica, you won’t have to look very far to hear the latest aspirant belting out their version of their favourite tunes. Many of these pseudo artistes will never see their dreams come to fruition, unfortunately, however the ones that keep at it and get a touch of good fortune along the way will ultimately be the ones to hear their own songs being adapted by their own set of fans. One person who we are sure will receive such love in the future is Yeza Rebel. This young lady from the Eastern side of Kingston has always known in heart what she ultimately wanted to do. “I always felt that music was a part of me that wouldn’t go away, so I had to take the stance to give music a chance,” She explains.
Yeza, unfortunately had to face the realities of the world before chasing her dream. “I went to university (UWI Mona) and when mi lef’ mi tell mi moddah seh, ‘listen mi send out a bag of application I am not getting no work’ so I am going to start my own business. In the back of their minds I believe they are anticipating that I would still get something in the corporate world. My grandmother used to call my mother and ask ‘Wah di pickney a do wid her life’. So the initial response wasn’t great.”
For Yeza by the time she actually started to do music, she had already had established herself as a entrepreneur, “I was doing my own business (Kusuka Natural), where I do natural hair and I introduce people to natural hair products, mainly things made with coconut oil.” Yeza recollects. By all means comfortable somewhat but that old musical itch wouldn’t go away.
So she actively made the decision to give music a try but first the tricky proposition of getting that elusive first hit song. “The first actual recording I did was with Equiknoxx. I was very nervous because it had been ages since I did that but Gavin was very cool and we got it done. Then I linked up with this particular studio (Digital B) through Life Yard. We found the original cut of some songs I did before right here and so we did ‘Everything is Irie’ from this studio.”
And it is quite the song, ‘Everything Irie’ sets the platform for Yeza as she voices what she hopes becomes positive anthem for the youth in Jamaica, particularly the ones in and around the community of Bull Bay. “Yes, I do get inspiration from where I am from (Bull Bay). Even the song I have out now called ‘Everything Is Irie’. The vibration from that song came from the fact that I lived a couple of minutes from the beach. So whenever I wanted to clear my head, I would go to the beach: sit down under one tree, buy one coconut water and just easy back.”
As for the type of music she does, Yeza believes that she delivers a new interpretation of what is currently on the marketplace. “I have a lot of melodies to offer and it is merged with choppy lyrics. I don’t think I can give up either (one of the styles), its roots reggae with a likkle dancehall edge.” She says with a laugh.
With the help of her label, Universal Reggae Sounds and her Rebel UP band, Yeza has been taking to streets in a concerted effort to get her sound heard. One of the surest ways to get a buzz going is to show up at open air venues and build your fan base from the ground up. “I recently did a performance at Stone’s Throw. I also performed at Jojo’s Jerk Pit, Jamnesia, the Yacht Club and at the Spades Lounge yuh nuh doing the foundation work.”
This route is one that the likes of Raging Fyah, Kelissa, Protoje and Chronixx have taken on their individual roads to stardom. However it is quite the trek and the odds will certainly be against her but with her talent and drive, Yeza will be the next singer to inspire a whole new generation.
https://youtu.be/UR9SzkY1G5c
photos by Jik Reuben
Illustration by Kokab
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