Dancehall singjay Ksangel is raising eyebrows with a new single called ‘Rumpari’ that showcases a perky dancehall pop sound that is forcing FM radio to sit up and pay attention.
“The response to ‘Rumpari’ has been incredible so far, big ups to the street selectors, the radio disc jocks and everyone on the Gold N Goals production team,” Ksangel said.
She recently inked a booking and recording deal with Gold N Goals Production. The label produced the ‘Rumpari’ single as well as her follow up single, ‘My Chill Spot’.
She plans to release her debut EP early next year.
“We will be shooting a video for both singles in the next couple of weeks,” she said.
Born Sherene F. Salmon in February 1989, she grew up in a family which oozed talent. Her mom, Maezel Rose, is now a dentist but was the first runner up in the Miss Festival Queen back in the 1970’s, while her father, Vecos Salmon, was restaurant and bar owner loved music. Ksangel’s grand-dad played the trumpet.
“I have always been around people who know how to express themselves and their artistic talent,” she said.
The singjay’s childhood was scarred when tragedy hit the family unexpectedly, as her dad was shot and killed when she was only two.
She has been writing poetry since the age of 11. During her teens, she moved around quite a bit from Clarendon, St. Catherine and Kingston over the years. As a result of this, she attended a wide assortment of secondary and tertiary institutions: Lennon High, St. Joseph’s High, Dunoon Technical High, and then Institute of Higher Learning and Excelsior Community College. Music remained her first love.
At 18, she made the bold move to build an in-house studio so she could hone her talents. The first label was shared with a part-owner at that time. Several tracks were recorded, but unfortunately only one track, ‘Can’t Take This’, was released via iTunes. The partnership soon dissolved because of creative differences that festered between them in 2013.
Since then, K’sangel tried playing a role in her girls’ group, and then a stint in modelling.
Ksangel has crafted a decidedly pop sound to her dancehall-influenced songs for a delightful mix of what she dubs ‘happy music’.
“I am motivated to write music by life, my experience and the experiences of others. Sometimes, it is what the beat is telling me. The idea of being able to share a particular experience with the world is important because it lets someone else know that they are not alone, and there is so much to be grateful and happy for in this world,” she said.
She recently performed at Jawara’s dub album launch at Stone Throw’s bar In St. Andrew.
“I am coming to take my spot in the game,” she said.
