Posted by admin in Shontelle Music on 01 15th, 2010

Shontelle

Singer/songwriter Shontelle is the latest successful recording artist out of the exploding music scene of Barbados. Like Rihanna before her, and now Vita Chambers and Hal Linton following Shontelle, it is Shontelle’s unique songwriting skills which may ultimately end up making her the biggest success story from the West Indian tropical island nation.

Shontelle, born October 3, 1985, is the oldest of three daughters born to Raymond and Beverly Layne, Shontelle and her younger sisters Rayana and Rhea were taught by their parents that school always came first. A good student who also ran track, Shontelle first became famous in Barbados as an athlete when she failed to make the national track team, but then made the national swim team instead. That second chance for Shontelle proved a bit prophetic as the next time she changed her mind about her career path, she became world-famous.

Shontelle began writing songs as a child for fun, and always loved to sing. She knew Rihanna at school, but it was with another one-named singer named Nathalie, that Shontelle recorded a local hit called “Colours” which spoke of Barbadian national pride. Even though Shontelle dreamed of a singing career, her parents’ insistence on a good education got her to refocus on becoming an entertainment lawyer.

“I have always wanted to be in the entertainment business and I had dreams of reaching beyond the shores of Barbados and the Caribbean,” she told a newspaper in Barbados.

Shontelle was only a few credits shy of becoming a lawyer when she finally decided to pursue a musical career instead. In 2005, while still in school, Shontelle co-wrote the 2005 Alison Hinds hit “Roll It” which made the top of the charts in Barbados and nearby Trinidad and Tobago.

During the past several years, New York-based songwriters and music producers Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken have held auditions in Barbados, and in 2004, they discovered Rihanna. As Rihanna’s first album soared up the charts, Rogers and Sturken returned to Barbados to see if lightning could possibly strike twice. In early 2006, the duo first heard Shontelle after friends told them that they had to listen to this local girl who wrote her own songs.

Impressed, Rogers and Sturken wanted to sign Shontelle, but she first wanted her parents’ approval.
The Laynes decided that if Rogers and Sturken could help make Rihanna a star, then Shontelle deserved her chance. They reasoned that Shontelle could always return to school if her singing career wasn’t a success.

After deciding to work with Rogers and Sturken, Shontelle recorded a new version of “Roll It” with Rihanna and J-Status. The success of this new “Roll It” enabled Rogers and Sturken to get Shontelle signed to Street Records Corporation/Universal Motown Records by the end of 2006. In 2008, Shontelle released her first album which features the international hit single “T-Shirt”.

The album’s third single “Battle Cry”, perhaps the best song on the album, receiving the most critical acclaim and was selected by President Obama’s campaign to be included in a compilation album saluting America’s first African-American President.

On Thanksgiving Day, 2009, Shontelle joined several other young Motown artists to celebrate the label’s 50th Anniversary in Detroit during the Lions and Green Bay Packers game. In a special halftime performance benefitting the United Way Charities, Shontelle sang a version of the Motown standard “Ain’t No Mountain (High Enough)”.

Though Shontelle roots for the New York Giants, Shontelle was obviously thrilled to be part of the festivities.

“It’s a huge deal to be able to follow in the footsteps of all of these previous Motown artists.”