Not even completed, the Jamaica Observer already describes her debut album as nothing less than “groundbreaking.” The who’s-who of Reggae royalty have lent their wisdom and unquestionable talent to ensure that Marie-Claire’s Dreamland is a first-rate production.
Boasting an original song “Constellation”, penned by Bob Andy, a remake of the El Tempo’s classic “Dreamland” made famous by Bunny Wailer and her version of Bob Marley’s infamous “rastaman chant (fly away home)” as well as some songs written by the singer herself, this album promises a fresh new hybrid sound. Says Marie-Claire, “It’s almost as if Reggae and hip-hop had a threesome with opera.” Listeners are in for an eargasm of eclectic sounds familiar and all the same strange and new.
The journey to this point has not been easy for the Dominican-born, Bronx-reared beauty who came as close to success with a demo deal from Epic records which fell through. They loved her, but she was ahead of her time. This journey to hip-hopera and now reggae-opera started with an open-mike performance at Village Vanguard, while Marie-Claire was an archeology student at Brooklyn College.
Since then Marie-Claire has gone from performing on the jazz and country western circuit to performing with the Austin Lyric Opera Company and to studying opera, at the Conservatory of Santa Cecelia in Rome, Italy where she lived for three years. Her return to the states took her through to Los Angeles where she continued her study, and then back to New York; where she studied with Raymond Buckingham.
Marie-Claire debuted at Carnegie Hall with the New York Grand Opera Company. Since then she has performed within the NYC metro at Joe’s Pub, Lyricist Lounge-Central Park Summer Stage 2001 and Izzy Bar to name a few. Her first performance in her native Dominica was the solo recital ‘A Night at the Opera.’ She has also performed at Cable and Wireless Creole in the Park, Nature Fest, and Creole and All That Jazz.
