Bodine, the bodacious singer/songwriter from The Bahamas celebrates ten years in the music industry this year and she commemorates her milestone by simultaneously releasing two big tunes for the 2017 music season, ‘Rocka My Cherry’ and ‘Feeling Good’. Both songs fully embody her sex appeal, vivaciousness and gift for expressive storytelling, elements that her fans love and have become a staple in Bodine’s music over the past decade.
The evolution of this Bahamian entertainer is powered by her ability to create music that spans a multiple genres such as Reggae, African, World and the Bahamian sounds of Rake ‘n’ Scrape and Junkanoo – the indigenous music of The Bahamas.
Bodine’s versatility is unquestionable and clearly noticeable in her catalog of songs like the 2008 Reggae ode ‘Intoxicated’, 2015 Junkanoo Carnival party anthem ‘All Day All Night’ and current releases – the Rake ‘n’ Scrape powerhouse ‘Rocka My Cherry’ produced by Qilla Fang of Sharp Toof Productions and the World music fusion ‘Feeling Good’ produced by Joseph Loren of Private Island Studios.
I caught up with “The Bahamian Carmen Miranda” recently to discuss her new music, career and upcoming plans for 2017.
Q: For the benefit of persons that may be unfamiliar with you and your music, who is Bodine?
A: “Bodine is an energetic, humorous and very versatile entertainer. She is motivated, interactive with the crowd, fun loving and she does not take herself too seriously (laughs). Bodine is sexy, very Bahamian and still internationally Caribbean. Bodine is a burst of bright, fun and happy energy.”
Q: How would you categorize your music?
A:“Interesting question! If I were to rate my music from a world perspective, I would say I am a World Music Artist. My sound is not traditional Pop, Reggae or African, it is Bahamian and it is a world sound. It’s ethnic in nature and it speaks to the history and progression of myself and others as Bahamians. The overtones and undertones of my music will always be Bahamian – the way the song is written, the way it is delivered, the drumbeat in the music, the phrasing, the ‘ring play’, the elements – I am a Bahamian artist who is able to move seamlessly through different genres of music. But if I had to choose a category, in terms of my sound, I would say I have a world sound.”
Q: Your sound is eclectic. You encompass multiple genres within your music while still remaining Bahamian at your core. Which artists have been your musical inspiration?
A: “My influences range from Chaka Khan’s performance style to classic Afro-Caribbean artists like Carmen Miranda, I am so captivated by what she managed to do. And then there’s the strength and passion of Bahamian entertainer Eloise Lewis, who defied the cultural norms of her day by refusing to be at home barefoot in the kitchen cooking, but rather on stage performing in traditional African Costumes. Also the Goombay Mama Maureen Duvalier. I admire the style those women had when they got onto the stage, their interaction with the crowd and that Junkanoo Goombay excitement. Those are some of the persons who influence me and my music. I’m happy to have been exposed to them in my younger years, and to now be able to find more information about them is a blessing, as I continue to do research on the way I want my shows executed.”
Q: Talk about your two new songs ‘Feeling Good’ and ‘Rocka My Cherry’?
A: “‘Feeling Good’ is a collaboration with producer Joseph Loren of Private Island Studios in The Bahamas, it’s a declaration of my independence, my vision for 2017 and for my calling which is music and performance. When I wrote that song last year I had just come out of a depression, and I had so much music inside my head ‘Feeling Good’ was the first song I wrote and recorded. The song is for every single entrepreneur that was/is on a job that they may enjoy and may be good at, but it’s not what they’re supposed to be doing, so they’re not completely happy. ‘Rocka My Cherry’ was produced by Qilla Fang of Sharp Toof Studios. It’s about the Bahamian experience of ‘ring play’ and it was written for Goombay, Junkanoo Summer and Regatta Festivals (national cultural festivals of The Bahamas,) where everybody is interacting with each other and having a good time and it also crosses over into Carnival, where people are dancing with people they don’t know. The song is about the reintroduction and continuation of Bahamian culture to the music scene.”
Q: What’s next for Bodine? What’s in store for 2017?
A: “This year will mark my tenth year in the music business and I am finally working on my first full length album which will reflect where I am as an individual and an artist which I will release this year. I also plan to do quite a bit of travel internationally this year, I’m looking for cultural opportunities to perform on stages around the world to share the music from The Bahamas with world.”
Listen to ‘Rocka Ma Cherry’ and ‘Feeling Good’ on Soundcloud:
Cover Art info:
Rocka My Cherry: Produced by Qilla Fang of Sharp Toof Productions, Freeport, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas. Written & Performed by Bodine Johnson
Feeling Good: Produced by Joseph Loren of Private Island Recording Studios, Nassau, The Bahamas. Written & Performed by Bodine Johnson
Follow Bodine on Social Media:
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Written by Yolanda Hanna