“Reggae Phenom” NChann Soriano
Hailing from Brooklyn, New York [byway of Black River, St. Elizabeth JA] This female artist whose given name is Natalie Gail Channer born March 30th has a sound that is a true embodiment of “FUSION” and a direct result of what happens when the sweet island vibe of Jamaica; meets the “Concrete Jungle” of New York City. Her music incorporates an extremely heavy Reggae influence (including Ska and other sub-genres) with the perfect dosage of Jazz, Gospel, R&B, Hip Hop, and even Soft Rock. There is also a healthy intersperse of Dancehall’s lyrical styling throughout her vast growing catalog.
This amazingly talented artist has overcome countless obstacles on the way up including homelessness living in New York City’s shelter system & single-motherhood with the oldest of her two sons diagnosed with autism and is still working hard every day to keep her musical dreams alive. CEO of her indie recording & music publishing house NChannz World Music LLC and Wearing multiple hats, Miss Soriano is an immense force to be reckoned with. Fully assuming roles of Singer/Songwriter (ASCAP), Producer, Vocalist, Creative Director, Live Performer, Businesswoman & much more… Pretty much everything you’d expect from today’s indie artist.
NChann has been subtly making her way around the local indie music scene & slowly but surely has begun to catch the attention of her peers in the industry both artists and producers alike. The ultimate goal? To contribute to the preexisting efforts aiding Reggae music to be considered more than just another culturally driven genre of music but as a lifestyle to listeners globally, Providing new perspectives to the look, sound, and authenticity of Roots Reggae & Dancehall in addition to gaining more mainstream media attention.
“Mi like her vocals bwoy! She’s got the vocals of REGGAE… Sometimes yuh just want to hear a nice reggae vocal & she’s definitely got a NICE reggae vocal”.
~Seani B
“Anywhere yuh tek her she bad enuh, Anywhere you tek da artist ya she BAD! She bad inna new riddim, Yo yuh put her pon ah foundation riddim she rough it up… She BAD!”.
~Ricky Trooper
How did you get started in music?
As early as I can remember music was always apart of my family’s daily routine. My mother had the radio on nonstop in the kitchen I would sometimes take the radio into my bedroom. The most significant thing though was that at night she never turned the radio off but rather turned it down really low. So you can just imagine how that plays into the embedding of music into the subconscious mind during sleep. Then during family gatherings or special occasions especially like Christmas my father always played his turntable and stereo system and even in the car driving the radio was always on. Around 8 yrs old I discovered I could sing I would listen & study anything I could get my hands on. I was enrolled in a youth gospel choir at 11 started writing and recording at age 14 and have been pursuing music professionally ever since.
Tell us a bit about your new release, “Jamericana.”
Well its an actually byproduct of upbringing. The name is just my way to pay homage to Jamaicans who grew up in the American culture. But moreover the it’s in the sound Hip Hop meets RNB meets Dancehall at least that was the thought process after we were done recording but before all that… I had a vision… That’s how it started. I wanted to put out an EP for a while but the production just wasn’t available. Then the producer who goes by the name of “Itz Beez Da TrackStar” & I linked after he reached out to me as a result of the two of us participating in dancehall artist Demarco’s YouTube series Demarco Pon di Beat. He was the winner the producer challenge and I was one of the winners for the artist challenge. He heard the song “Flex” I submitted and must have liked what he heard because out of nowhere I opened my email couple days after and I literally got a message with easily upwards of 25 riddims. I link him back and was like “let’s do a project !” And he basically replied “Nuh seh 40” lol I started writing and recording. My initial intrigue though was that his beats embodied a lot of the sound elements of music that was coming outta yawd. And With both of us being Jamaican and based in the US, him in Arizona at the time and me in New York the name JAMERICANA just fit even more. All the songs were written by me and recorded in my home studio. The mixing mastering was done by Duane “D-dot” Edwards of D-Dot music studios /The Riddim Nation in Jamaica
Can you describe your musical style, and how it is unique?
I believe and I think most would agree I already have an extremely unique sound. It’s a fusion of almost every genre of music with the foundation being Reggae and Dancehall. But what I think directly contributes to my overall “uniqueness” is my ability to digest & mimic different sounds and my the fearlessness to try different things vocally. I draw inspiration from the simplest of things and though I can DJ/SingJay quite well I like for people to understand that I am a SINGER first. So no matter what the harmony stacks and backing vocals and melodic elements with forever be there. I have such a deep rooted and unwavering love and respect for all Reggae and Dancehall styles because to me our music is a reflection of the culture and our lifestyle however being that I’ve been so heavily exposed to all different types of music the “Talent” that everyone is drawn to is my mastering the art of blending all these sounds together. So wether it’s an R&B or Gospel, Hip Hop or even a Soca or trap Beat I will always find a way to add my own reggae/ dancehall flair to it.
What can we expect in the future from NChann Soriano?
Well there’s quite a few things in the works honestly. First off I have my label NChannz World Music which I started in order to put out my music independently but I have since begun Executive producing other talent acts as well which includes upcoming artist by the name of Bad Spurr you’ll be hearing a lot more about him very soon. There’s also my recording engineer who is featured on this project writes and composes. We’re in the process of working with my youngest son to release a song he and I co-wrote.
On top of all that I recently partnered with a production house based in Europe (Belgium to be exact) called Dutty Records owned by DJ Baby Bang whose a wicked producer. Through him both Bad Spurr and myself are gearing up to release a bunch of new singles the first of which comes out April 15th 2022 entitled “Blessed” by Bang and featuring myself. Then in May we’re releasing chunes on his riddim called the “Bulldozer Riddim” which will also feature artists like Delly Ranks and more. And it’s to infinity and beyond from there. I am honestly looking forward to collaborating with more artists and producers so you will just have to stay tuned to witness all the magic.
Anything else you’d like to tell the people?
I would just like to ask that everyone make a stronger effort to support more female artists and talents Especially black women. Not just because we are women but because WE BAD! We are just as talented, hardworking, educated and accomplished in our fields despite all the challenges and void of guidance and support not to mention encouragement. Yet we still go hard and fearlessly tek on di tings dem. Now I would never compare myself in anyway to the males but I can say that I been known to outwork a few by accident on purpose. I would just like the work that I do to be respected and recognized for all of my contributions and treated with the same levels of professionalism and regard as not only my male counterparts but as the more major artists. At the end of the day it all comes from a place respect and humility towards women.
JAMERICANA (Behind The Music) – IN HER OWN WORDS
Every artist has a story, and I saw this EP as a great opportunity to begin telling mine. Let’s start with names!
Names are essential; they are the first clue people get to figure out who you are. For example, take NChann Soriano. Unique would be quite the understatement right?! It’s so unique that even the spelling is a hidden intricate detail. Here’s a fun fact: NChann is actually my first and last name (Natalie Channer) abbreviated and combined into one. For this reason, both letters “N” & “C” are to be capitalized. “Soriano” is an adopted name that I just loved the sound of and felt gave it a different flavor. The same theory holds for the naming of this body of work. I needed a name that embodied my style of music in the truest form possible. Jamaican girl growing up in the infamous big bad New York City. I wanted to show the fusion of my music was more a direct reflection of my actual life. As a child growing up around my “Yankee” friends as many Jamaicans refer to Americans, I could speak their slang but I also had an accent. For this reason, I began referring to myself as a Jamerican when asked about my nationality. The widely unacknowledged “bi-bilingual”, a mastered ability to switch between patios and a Brooklyn New Yorker street twang became a core asset to my singing and songwriting style when I began recording Reggae.
JAMERICANA is basically a play on just that. Just as “Americana” is the celebration of all the things associated with the culture and history of America, “JAMERICANA” is my way of paying homage to the culture and history of all the Jamaicans like myself who grew up in the states and to all Caribbean migrants.
Social media Handles
Instagram-Twitter-TikTok: @nchann_soriano
Facebook: NChann Soriano Music
NChannSorianoVEVO
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