Young singer reaches out to ‘Beautiful Girls’ in music industry
Published:Tuesday | January 10, 2023 | 1:03 AMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer
In the midst of preparing for the Easter school term, one 11-year-old girl is busying herself with finding the right harmonies for a song she hopes will earn her the attention she needs to launch her an early expedition into the world and career of a singer and songwriter.
Bella C, which is the stage name Belladana Aliszandra Rae Cole has selected, is a sixth-grader with music in her blood and wants to explore the discipline as a means to deliver a well-timed message to her female peers, as well as the ‘queens’ of reggae and dancehall.
With the release date of her debut single, titled Beautiful Girls, slated for January 15, Bella C cites some of her influences in hopes that they will mark the date and connect with her. Among them are Brick and Lace, Koffee, Dua Lipa, Lila Ike, Jada Kingdom, Sevana, Shenseea, Rihanna and Ariana Grande. In an interview with The Gleaner, she shared that although she listens to international music genres mostly, she has an interest collaborating with several local acts who are making an impact globally.
“I generally listen to pop music and sometimes R&B, but I do have find several of our Jamaican reggae and dancehall artistes to be beautiful souls, and would like to collaborate with some of them. I’d like to meet Ariana Grande because she writes great songs, and I think she shows she has a wonderful personality through her music, and also Shenseea. I think she is a very strong and beautiful person who makes different songs that appeals to different people. Koffee is also another person I would like to collaborate with. I really just want to send a message to everyone,” Bella C said.
She wants this song to inspire little girls and women and “let them know they are beautiful beyond the physical, and it’s because of their creativity and intelligence, but it is for everyone to understand their value”.
The single is a blend of innovative Caribbean and Afrobeats rhythms and a little bit of R&B flavours blended with bold messages and the attitude of the young singer. Her signature line, “ IQ 162, you better know my girls and I are heaven sent”, speaks to the intelligence of today’s women and as she sings, she celebrates the beauty of all women and asserts the need to view themselves as equals to their male counterparts.
Persons who become tuned into Bella C will not be taken by a bombardment of music, because she aspires to deliver something unique that is indicative of her positive vision for the future. While it will be up to the listeners to decide if her sound is Ja-pop or dancehall ‘lite’, one thing is sure, Bella C is destined to be part of the next generation of sensational acts from the island, especially if she takes with her the approach she has demonstrated.
“I feel like I’m a smart person, but I want to be humble. I would also say I’m pretty, or beautiful, because everybody is beautiful to me. And I’m a happy person most of the time,” Bella C said of herself.
The aspiring singer and songwriter also has an interest in the fine arts, drama, and is she is at the junior level in ballet at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. She shared that she loves the visual and performing arts and sees herself pursuing a career as an actor. Although she has dedicated a lot of time to the music, she does not want to be put in to a box.
She said, “I have different interests at home than at school, but they are all connected in one way or another. I like to do art and draw sketches (in my spare time), and at school I’m involved in the choir, but outside of art and music, I would like to become an actor. I think it is amazing how people can act and make people think they feel the emotions of the character. Right now, my favourite movie is Encanto, if you know that Disney movie then you know why.”
Bella C is being groomed to be an advocate for female empowerment and women’s rights, said her management at R International.
“She wants to do good for Jamaica, and she wants these influential persons to see that through her music. Her mother is a beautiful Jamaican woman and a teacher who grooms her students, guiding them to understand that it is not about the physical appearance, but about how they use their minds. And that women should get equal opportunity, whether the woman is a market vendor or a corporate personality, and that they have the capacity to explore other areas,” Ray Cole said of his daughter.