Cherine and her six-member band made their first trip to the African continent, having been invited to perform at the 15th edition of the Arts Alive Festival in Johannesburg, where other artistes, including Jah Vinci, also performed. The petite singer from Rockfort, east Kingston, made an excellent first impression. She also performed at the Eldos Jazz and Arts Festival.

“I was truly touched by their openness to me and my music,” said the enchanting young woman. “People danced and sang and screamed and partied to songs that were old and new.

“The reception to songs like Try, No Peace in War and Moola was really special because these songs are not yet released. People were singing along and screaming at certain points of the songs, it was like an instant connection with the message and the infectious beats that were being delivered by my amazing musicians.”

Lucrative Market

Based on the audience’s response to her, her band and her music, the astute entertainer is looking to make further inroads into what could turn out to be a lucrative market for her.

“It’s definitely a new market for me. My manager, Patrick Lindsay, has been working in conjunction with Dennis Wright to organize our efforts in the region,” she said.

“This first trip was the first step in our long-range plan. I really wanted to go there and introduce the fans to my live show. My band and I really worked hard to ensure we delivered a solid performance.”

Cherine is even now considering further expeditions into other parts of Africa, where the seeds of reggae music have already been planted and have begun to sprout. She was even pleasantly surprised how much they knew about her and her charitable endeavours.

“We would love to explore more of South Africa and other neighboring countries. There’s interest for my music in the region, so we’re just working hard and staying humble. I felt a strong connection with the place and the people and we’re looking forward to returning, not just with the music, but with our continued mentorship and service efforts through Reach One Child (ROC),” she said.

“I was surprised to learn that people knew about our ROC movement here in Jamaica, and I’m looking forward to expanding that as well in this new area. I must thank Wright and Moonsammy for making the whole experience a good one. Overall, the trip was an exciting one and I am looking forward to returning for many more in the future.”