Alaine excites French Guiana, gears up for Europe sweep

Reggae songbird Alaine is still high off excitement from her recent performance in French Guiana, where she electrified a crowd of more than 20,000 people.

According to a press release from her publicist Headline Entertainment, she said the most memorable part of her performance was when she performed “Sacrifice”.

“Oh my God, it was insane. It was crazy, and epic and amazing!” an excited Alaine thundered through her million-watt smile.

“My life is a story of leaving certainty for uncertainty with me leaving investment banking for music, and that’s what the song ‘Sacrifice’ is about. And that was just so special for me, I was so emotional, seeing 20,000 hands in the air, singing my song back to me, it was just very special.  At one point, I had to be saying to myself ‘Alaine, don’t cry. Just keep it together, sing the song, don’t cry’, but it was a really good moment. I mean, these people don’t even speak English but they know my song,” she said.

Meanwhile, the sultry songstress is jetting off to Europe for a series of live performances, starting with a show in Germany alongside their native Gentleman.  Follow-ing her performance in Germany, she will be off to the Parkpop Festival in Amsterdam, Headline Entertainment said.

“Parkpop is actually a pop music festival and it attracts up to 360,000 patrons so that’s a big deal for me right now,” Alaine commented.  She will be one of two reggae artistes to be featured on the show with the other being Amsterdam’s own Maikal X who has a song on Don Corleon’s ‘Changes’ riddim.  In the light of the success of her hit “Without You” on Don Corleon’s ‘Changes’ riddim, on the Amsterdam music charts, she was invited by media house FunX, with whom she created a bond after her performance at the Two Sevens Splash last year.

“I’m so grateful that they have accepted and embraced my music.  They really play my music so I’m glad for the support” Alaine stated.

After Amsterdam Alaine has bookings in Guadeloupe and the Turks & Caicos Islands before touring other places in Europe and Japan promoting her upcoming album which will be released in Japan in August, Headline Entertainment said.

Born Alaine Laughton in the USA, Alaine studied classical piano for four years and began writing songs at a very early age. Her talents as a singer and actress were recognized while she was a child and secured her roles in numerous Jamaican television programs and commercials, radio jingles, and theatrical productions.

As a child, she performed in several cabaret shows and national events, hosted a popular children’s television show, and landed herself a role in the movie Clara’s Heart starring Whoopi Goldberg. After graduating with an honors degree in Management and Psychology, Alaine moved to New York where she worked at JP Morgan while pursuing her musical career. She sang hooks for Roc-A-Fella recording artist, Cam’Ron, in the songs, “Live My Life” (Leave Me Alone) from the album ‘Come Home With Me’ (Roc-A-Fella 2002), and “Yeo” from Music Inspired by Scarface (Def Jam, 2003).

Her music is a mixture of traditional Jamaican Dancehall/Reggae rhythms combined with writing and vocal arrangements that showcase her R&B/Hip Hop influences. Her song “No Ordinary Love” charted on several Reggae Charts from across the world including, New York, Florida, Japan, Europe and the Caribbean. The music video topped the charts on MTV Tempo’s Cross Caribbean Countdown for several weeks and became the first video by a female reggae artist to be retired from the countdown on one of Jamaica’s biggest video request shows, E-Strip. Her song “Deeper” is featured on Kingston 5 (Sony Europe 2005) and Strictly the Best Volume 36 (VP Records 2007). “Wine” has been featured on Strictly the Best Volume 5 (VP Records 2007) and ‘The Biggest Ragga Anthems for 2006’ (Greensleeves Records).

Her singles “Heavenly” and “Jah Jah Cry” were included in the compilation for ‘Biggest Reggae One Drop Anthems 2006’ (Greensleeves).

“Love Sound”, her collaboration with Beres Hammond is featured on Sly and Robbie’s Grammy nominated Rhythm Doubles Album (Taxi Records 2006). “Dreaming of You” (featuring, Beenie Man), “Rise In Love” , “I Love You” (featuring Busy Signal) and “Sacrifice”, among others, are in rotation across the world.

A music video for her single “Sacrifice”, directed by top Jamaican director Ras Kassa was recently released.