Birth name Melonie Gillett Years active 2005–present Origin Belize City, Belize Associated acts Denise Castillo | Genres R&B/ Pop/ Reggae Name Melonie Gillette Occupation(s) Singer, Songwriter | |
Born August 23, 1984 (age 39) ( 1984-08-23 ) | ||
Melonie Gillett (born August 23, 1984) is a Belizean singer and songwriter. She has released an EP album entitled "Rush" and an album "The Dreamer".
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Early life
Although being born and attending high school in Belize City, Melonie was raised in Burrell Boom.She also attended Community College in the city, where she became a Certified Network Engineer. Upon returning to her home village, Melonie began to experiment with music, entering competitions and ultimately recording music. Her experience with different cultures has contributed greatly to her versatility and numerous styles of music. She has said her biggest influences and motivation has been her family. "I come from a very musical family and I’ve watched my grandfather, uncles, mother, and aunts utilise music as the heart of our family. It has always brought us together through tears and turmoil, happiness and distress, and it still does! To this day, I can still sit on the porch and listen to the refined, melodious voice of my grandfather as he strums his guitar chanting traditional music and singing ballads of yesteryear." says Melonie. Some of her biggest influences outside of her family include; Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Bob Marley, Abba, Karen Carpenter, and Lauryn Hill. Melonie has tried to stay true to herself, and true to her music by facing issues real to not only her, but to people all over the world. It might only be a first step, but getting through this first step has been years of dedication and perseverance.
Career
Melonie's performance of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" on Karaoke Television in 2005, and again in 2007, brought her popularity in Belize. The release of her first single "Rush" brought he to the forefront of Belizean music. Performing with the likes of international Reggae artists such as Munga Honorable, Duane Stephenson, Pressure, Konshens, and Etana, helped to further establish Melonie as one of the premier artists in Belize. With the release of her first full album Melonie has moved up to the ranks as one of the top female artist in Belize and the Caribbean.
Albums
DD = Digital downloads