I had the pleasure of speaking to Sedale for this feature. After the interview, all I thought was wow, what an intelligent and well-spoken young man with a deep love for his country and for his music.
ML: Tell us about Sedale, when did you enter the musical field?
SS: I graduated from St. Mary’s College, then moved to the US to further my education. While studying Business Administration at Medgar’s Evers College I was reunited with some old classmates and we started a DJ sound system called “Infrared Soundz”. I entered the musical field in 2007. Deeper Than Soca camp evolved after some exposure in the soca industry.
ML: What was the driving force behind you being an artiste? Why did you choose soca?
SS: When I first entered the musical scene, my style was heavily influenced by dancehall. Before I became an artist, I dj’ed with Infrared Soundz.
ML: Who, if any of the older artistes influenced your musical style?
SS: My musical style was influenced by Skinny Fabulous.
ML: Who is your favorite musician?
SS: It is very tough to answer that question; I have multiple musicians that I like, for instance I like Kanye West because of his unpredictability and I like Skinny Fabulous for his musical style and work ethics.
ML: What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?
SS: I would tell them to be patient and be persistent. Success do not come fast but if you are persistent you will achieve success. You must put in the work as well!
ML: How do you handle mistakes during a performance?
SS: I act like normal and continue performing like nothing happened.
ML: How often do you practice?
I practice every day. Practicing to me doesn’t entail just singing, I do breathing exercises for instances and I also watch my past performances and work on improvements.
ML: Do you write your own music?
SS: Yes, and I also collaborate with other people.
ML: What makes you decide what to sing/write about?
SS: My inspiration comes from everywhere. My songs are chosen carefully, but at the end of the day what I think has potential to make it big is my deciding factor.
ML: What can we expect for 2016?
SS: More music alongside surprise artists, shhhh. I will also be doing some community work which will include doing school tours. I find that there are so many talented kids but they don’t have an avenue to turn to learn more about the industry. My team and I would also be doing the concert “Transcend” for the 2nd year during St. Lucia Carnival.
More tidbits about Sedale:
Deeper than Soca or “DTS” was formed by Sedale and Orion. They have now evolved into being not just a duo of musicians but also one of the most popular movements and clothing lines in St. Lucia. In 2014, Sedale collaborated with Peter “Wildfire” Noel to release the hit “Pandemonium” which garnered them the title of People’s Monarch. In 2015, his song “Neighbor” which was produced by Miguel “Migz” Joseph gained him 2nd place in the Groovy Monarch Competition. Sedale has performed at many carnival events including Labor Day in NYC, Dallas, and Miami. This year is posing to be another big year for Sedale with his release of MVP which you can hear below:
One of my favorites by Sedale:
I wish you and the DTS camp best of luck for 2016 and beyond. The drive and determination I heard in your voice will most definitely put you on the map and allow you to go further.
Follow Sedale here: Sedale’s Facebook, like the DTS Camp here Deeper Than Soca Facebook; also check out their website: Deeper Than Soca
xoxoxo
Meli Mel