TribeNine: "Rhythm Of Life " (Feature/Interview)
How did you come up with the band name?
CHRIS: We have been in each other’s lives for over 20 years and have become family. So “Tribe” shows the close relationship we have built over the years, and “Nine” refers to the nine fruits of the Spirit referred to in the Bible in Galatians 5:22-23 (Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.) We wanted our lives and message to represent these nine attributes.
Where are you from?
DWAYNE: Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario.
GENINNE: I come from a large family born and raised in Pickering, Ontario.
CHRIS: I was born and raised in Trinidad and migrated to Canada in 2001.
What is the biggest message you want to bring to your audience?
GENINNE: For me, our message is simple. It's the reason for our band name. There is no law against beautiful things like Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I hope our music will communicate that.
CHRIS: Never give up! If I had given up and walked away from my musical dream, I would not be sitting here today with this great team. So, keep pursuing your dream and never give up on it.
DWAYNE: Keep going, keep going, and after you’ve done that, keep on going! It’s a lot of hard work to realize your dreams; for most, realizing our dreams will not happen overnight. More often than not, our journeys will be filled with many failures that finally give way to brilliance! So don’t be afraid to fail! Risk! Fail well and fail often. And eventually, those failures and hard lessons will lead to something beyond what you could hope for.
How did you get started in music?
GENINNE: One of the reasons I love these guys is that I think each of us has an incredibly unique journey with music. Genre, skill and experiences help us to work well together. Personally - I've always been gifted with words. In my early teens, I started to put it to music. I started recording and all that, but I felt like I had to compromise my integrity to keep going. So I put it on the back burner for years. I got involved with a church, met these guys, and we've been writing together ever since. That of course is the short version.
DWAYNE: I’ve always have a love for music. My grandmother told me that even when I was a toddler, I was always singing. My grandparents had a little farm that my great-grandparents left them about an hour outside Toronto and apparently, as soon as we got into the car, I would start singing and did so the entire way. I did my very first duet in church when I was 9; from there, it just never stopped. I always thought of myself as a vocalist only and not a songwriter until I wrote and led my first song in 2003. From there, I met these two champions and they challenge and bring out the best in me, both in singing and writing.
CHRIS: I got started at the age of 14 yrs. old in a small church in Trinidad where the Pastor called me out of the crowd during the Sunday Morning Service and told me to play the keyboard during the music part of the service. I had no clue how to play a keyboard or anything about music, but somehow, he knew it would be my path. I had the keyboard volume turned off and pretended to play some notes. I went home that day and prayed and ask God if He wanted me to be a musician to teach me how to play, and I am here today as a witness that my prayers were answered.
Is music a big part of your family?
DWAYNE: Music has always been a huge part of our family. I have a great lineage of musical people. My grandfather played a number of instruments and taught others to play while a part of the Salvation Army band back in the day. My dad plays guitar, the fiddle, and singing since he was young. I’ve been singing with my cousin in church since we were kids. My uncle had a band when he was in his 20’s and their band called Surging Revival professionally recorded a number of original songs…all on 45s :)
CHRIS: Music has been a big part of my family on my mother’s side. My great grandparents were singers, my grandfather was a drummer (Indian tassa drums) and my mom, and her nine siblings all sang as a choir.
GENINNE: Growing up in a Caribbean home, music played every Saturday when we cleaned the house. In my early teens, I discovered I had an uncle in Jamaica who wrote and recorded music. So there is a bit of music in my family line. However, my parents' love for music has greatly influenced my life over the years. I didn't grow up in the Church, so my love for music really came from there. Because I lean towards rap and hip hop, it wasn't something that was generally accepted in the church. When I started attending church, Dwayne and my Lead Pastor, Harold Reid, encouraged me that God could use my gift.
What artists and songs did you grow up listening to?
CHRIS: The 80s music really shaped my interest in music. Artist like Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder were some of the inspirations in my musical life.
DWAYNE: Oh my gosh, where to begin?? Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Bebe and Cece Winans, all the Winans (lol), Aretha Franklin, U2, Stevie Wonder, Eurythmics, Tears for Fears, Amy Grant, James Taylor, Roberta Flack, Chicago, the Bee Gees, the Commodores, Simon and Garfunkel and the list goes on and on. I’ve very eclectic when it comes to music but I would say that R&B is where I live the most.
GENINNE: So my parents influenced me with lots of Sam Cooke, Marty Robbins, and Kenny Rogers. My sister put me onto U2 and FishBone, and my teen years were influenced by Red Hot Chili Peppers, MCLyte, Queen Latifah, Pearl Jam, Rakim, Lauryn Hill and Whitney Houston.
What has been the most challenging part of your music journey?
DWAYNE: Myself! Listening to the narrative in my head that I’m not good enough, not talented enough or unqualified. I’ve learned that there are enough external voices in life to spit out a negative narrative about who you are and that you're not enough. So, I continue to learn the art of speaking truth and life to myself, taking control of that internal narrative, and then making sure that I’m speaking life to others.
GENINNE: I think my biggest challenge with my musical journey is upfront. I have to say artists like Lizzo have really helped me not feel as self-conscious about being picture-perfect but being true to myself.
CHRIS: Constantly being made to feel like I was not good enough to be a musician. Having to still push through all the noise of people saying “NO” to me because I was not qualified on paper.
Any good vocal health tips you can share?
CHRIS: Your voice is your greatest instrument. Protect it, hydrate it, avoid harmful substances that can damage it and keep using it to sing.
DWAYNE: When you want to hit that high note, don’t slide up to it! Think of hitting the note like shooting a basketball. You don’t throw the ball at the basket. You arch your shot. It’s the same with singing a high note. Don’t lift your head and stretch your neck because you will strain your vocal cords. Instead, tilt your head down a bit. Think of the note coming up from your diaphragm and through the top of your head. Do that, and more times than not, you’ll hit that high note and won't strain your voice.
What are your goals for the rest of 2023?
GENINNE: My goals for 2023 are to understand that joy and generosity come from a position of giving, not receiving. This is a year where I give my best in everything I do, in all my relationships and my work. To be a creator, not only a consumer.
CHRIS: My goals are to help as many people discover, develop and disperse their musical talents and continue to create an avenue where people who think that they have nothing to offer be given a chance to show the talent that God has blessed them with.
DWAYNE: My goals for 2023 are to take things to another level in every area of my life. It can be easy to slide into coasting through a year but that is not the plan for 2023! Going to level up as a husband and father. Setting goals to challenge myself to develop personally—spiritually, creatively, physically, and professionally. Level up in my leadership, in mentoring and investing in the next generation.
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