Featured as a NEXT artist in the April issue of VIBE (on newsstands now!) we bring you more from Melanie Fiona, the singer currently signed to Steve Rifkind’s SRC label. Fiona, who's preparing to release her upcoming debut album, The Bridge (SRC), talks about how she got signed, and her thoughts on Common, The Little Mermaid and being West Indian.
VIBE:You go from singing in Toronto, to being signed by Universal SRC, how did that happen?
MELANIE FIONA: Steve Rifkind came by my session while I was recording, “Somebody Come Get Me.” He listened and immediately was like, "Oh my god stop this." He stopped the record as I was singing and he was like, "Are you Caribbean? I know you're crazy, singing about somebody come get me before I kill them."
And then?
He told me, "You’re a star. I just signed three females to my label, and I didn’t plan on signing another one but you’re a star." Shortly after, he called me and said come to NYC and he wanted to go full steam ahead. We had a meeting in his office, and he put the paper work on the table.
Pleased?
Steve’s passion for music is what has made him win in the past. With Akon, the story with Akon is no one really saw or believed, but Steve believed. So that passion is what I felt about the music and it’s like I wanted people that had the same passion and Steve got it right away. He didn’t want to change me, he didn’t want to push me in another direction that didn’t feel true to me.
Speaking of what’s true to you let’s get to know you personally a little better are you an early riser or a night owl?
I’m a night person all the way. I just feel at night I am the most productive.
Pick your favorite song, and you can’t choose yours.
My favorite song right now is “Long Distance” by Brandy because I just love her. But of all time would be [Whitney Houston’s] “Greatest Love of All.” It was the first song I sang as a kid, and when my dad found out I could sing.
What would you say is your favorite book?
The Alchemist. It’s just one of those books that kept coming up. People kept telling me about it. I read it and it affected me; I put people on it and it affected them.
Favorite movie?
My favorite movie is a toss up. I got the Little Mermaid and True Romance. Little Mermaid is one of the best movies ever made music wise. Then there’s True Romance: It has a great story line, it has action, love, and it’s gangsta.
Favorite celebrity, or celebrity crush?
[Hesitant] I love Common, and I don’t really have celebrity crushes and I don’t really trip off celebrities in general, but I do have a crush on Common. I can’t lie. He writes children’s book, c’mon you gotta love that.
Have you met him yet?
Once, but at the time I didn’t know how in love I was, and neither did he!
Greatest entertainer/performer/singer of all time?
If I had to choose a great artist and performer it would have been Lauryn Hill. Vocally she is phenomenal, lyrically she’s amazing, and I love how real her shows were. She brings out the works. We want you back Lauryn, we miss you.
Canada or America?
Americans have their own defined culture whether you're black, white, whatever, but growing up in Toronto we had the foundation of where we came from very fresh in our minds. So I grew up very West Indian even though I grew up in Canada. It was awesome and I appreciate being around people that shared the same type of experiences. Culturally the generations of immigrants are different, so neither is better or worse just different.
If you weren’t singing what would you be doing?
In school I always liked to help people, and felt I may want to do something in psychology or even in medicine. So it would be something helping people. I had a good upbringing and I feel I can offer emotional strength. Music has always been what I wanted to do.Tthe funny thing is when I was a kid I had a little book, and it asked what you wanted to be when you grow up and I wrote down I wanted to be a singing nurse. Looking back it kind of says something.
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