By Narissa Fraser
FROM going viral on social media with a skilful freestyle, to performing in front of thousands and alongside artistes like Coutain, Lady Lava and Freetown Collective, the past two weeks have been nothing short of eventful for 13-year-old singer Celine Charles. The Valencia teen says she has dreams of becoming an internationally renowned entertainer.
In an interview with Newsday on July 1, she said her love for music was piqued by another Celine – legendary Canadian singer Celine Dion. She was actually named after her.
“My father (Yasim Charles) would listen to her music all the time. She is a wonderful singer and she just sounded so sweet. I love songs like My Heart Will Go On and The Power of Love.”
She would sing along to the songs with him or sometimes hum along and dance.
But it was at age seven she told her family she “wants to do music for the rest of her life.
Her mother, Paulette Charles, said they recognised the passion she had for music and soon enrolled her in performing arts-centred vacation camps/classes.
Celine’s first time performing in front of a crowd was at one of those very camps in Arima.
She sang Let It Go by Idina Menzel from the Disney film Frozen.
“I was so little and it was exciting…And I realised they liked how I was singing, so I was like, ‘Okay, good!’” she recalled with a giggle.
She said she was not scared at all.
“I was brave!” she said with a bold voice.
Through a family friend, they were introduced to producer and songwriter Black Starr (Arnold Noel).
This led to her debut single in 2020 titled Dreams – a song about remaining motivated even during difficult times.
“My mom and I wrote that song with my producer. And through the years, my producer and I worked together (on songwriting) and now I can write my own songs.”
She has since released songs like Shine For You, Daddy Change, Drop It, Too Young for Bacchanal and Chyar Done, among others.
In 2023, she took her talent to the Ministry of Education’s Junior Soca Monarch competition for the first time and emerged as the champion. She performed a song called Endless Love.
“I was excited and I knew I was going to win because I believed in myself.”
At that point, it was the biggest audience she had ever performed for. But still, she said, there was no fear.
In 2024, she placed third in the competition with Chyar Done. And it was also that year she got what she called her first major collaboration. She released Last Laugh with Prophet Benjamin.
She sings, “Seh mi a di daughter, and mi father deh ya inna headquarter, so mi blessing overflow like water.”
She believes she’s “bigger than the Titanic” and will laugh and smile regardless of those who wish bad on her. She has also performed it live with him several times, but said many were shocked whenever she began to sing. She said people are often surprised that a young girl has such a bold voice.
But it was last week when she participated in Aaron “Voice” St Louis’ open verse challenge for his latest song, Sabga, that thousands more became familiar with her.
Participants were required to perform a freestyle over a section of the song’s instrumental. Voice’s song addresses wealth and hard work. Its hook, “Man wa rich like Sabga,” refers to the Sabgas, a business family in TT at the helm of the conglomerate ANSA McAL.
Charles maintained those themes in her freestyle, which she wrote with her producer. In a white hoodie and long blue jeans, she proclaimed her legacy is “loud like a Bob Marley stanza.
“…Till me have so much money mi na need no sponsor. Mi sponsor fi help them find a cure for cancer.”
“One love,” she added, is the “ANSA,” linking back to the line about Marley, as well as the Sabgas.
“Send me every model from di Porsche to the Lancer…Just get a call from mi broker, delivery to mi mama and mi papa, two Rover, ten generations debt-free, mi health a run over…”
Her verse even drew attention from people like soca star Bunji Garlin who commented, “Baddd.”
There were also comments from Monk Music Group, Trinibad artiste Zerimar and others.
The video has over 470,000 views and over 500 comments.
She explained, “I was going through Instagram and I saw that everybody was hopping on (the challenge), so we called my producer and said I should (try) it and he said, ‘Yeah, I was going to say the same thing.’ So we went to studio, recorded it and then we did the video on the rooftop.”
She said she felt “great” about the final track.
On the love and attention her submission received, she said, “I felt excited and I was shocked.”
While she did not win, Voice posted to Instagram saying she would get her own song on the riddim. The riddim, titled the Night Cruise Riddim, was produced by Jamaica’s Zimi Records.
“Special mention to 13-year-old Celine Charles who will be featured…with an original contribution.
“The talent we have right here is so amazing. So grateful to be able to do things like this and see them all shine. Big love,” Voice wrote on June 27.
She recalled the moment she found out.
“I was in my room and mommy came running with her phone and told me. I started to jump up on the bed. I was real excited,” she said as she laughed.
She also performed at Kanvas, a concert headlined by local artiste Coutain, at SoundForge on June 29.
She said the audience loved her and the DJs/sound engineers did several “pull-ups” as she commanded the stage.
Other performers included Lady Lava, Freetown Collective, GBM Nutron, Full Blown, Isasha and Tevin Hartman.
“There were a lot of people and they were cheering for me with love. It felt good that a lot of people were there supporting me and shouting out my name.”
She said she loves many genres of music such as hip-hop, soca, reggae and pop. She also likes to challenge herself by trying different styles of music to boost her versatility.
When it comes to soca, she said she likes Bunji Garlin, Fay Ann Lyons and Machel Montano, and for reggae, Prophet Benjamin and late Jamaican singer Determined.
Other international acts she likes are Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.
As for future plans, she said, “I want to be an international singer and a very successful artiste.”
She said her dream collaboration would be with rapper Nicki Minaj, who was born in TT.
“I want my music to inspire people. So when people hear my song, it will uplift them. If they are sad or any other thing you need to hear a song that could make them feel happy, they can listed to my music.”
She has an upcoming collaboration with Trinibad artiste Jahllano, as well as a “summer chune.”
She recently graduated from the Valcencia RC Government Primary School and will begin secondary school in September, which she is looking forward to.