MUSIC PRODUCER IMANIE: BLENDING CARIBBEAN SOUNDS, EXPERIMENTING WITH GENRES AND CREATING HER OWN MUSICAL IDENTITY
Imanie describes herself as a fun, experimental music producer and recording artiste who enjoys exploring different genres and blending them to create something fresh, distinctive and relatable.
Although Saint Lucian by birth, Imanie left the island at just six years old. Her upbringing took her across several Caribbean territories, including five years in Bequia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, eight years in Antigua and three years in Trinidad. Growing up surrounded by different Caribbean cultures and musical influences has played a significant role in shaping her creative identity.
"My musical mind is very colourful, and I enjoy bringing different sounds together in ways people might not expect," she explains.
Having left Saint Lucia at such a young age, Imanie admits that she missed out on many traditional cultural experiences that shaped the upbringing of other Saint Lucians, including Independence celebrations, Creole Day and other cultural festivities. Although her family occasionally returned to the island during the summer and Christmas holidays, those visits were often short and infrequent.
Fortunately, she returned home last year and has remained on the island since then. During this time, she has made a conscious effort to reconnect with her roots and learn more about Saint Lucia's musical culture.
One thing that has particularly impressed her is the natural talent and authenticity of Saint Lucians.
"I love our personalities, the way we speak and how we express ourselves without holding back. You can hear that authenticity in our music, and I think it adds a natural spice that makes our sound special," she shares.
DISCOVERING A PASSION FOR MUSIC PRODUCTION
Imanie's love for music began at a very young age. One of her earliest favourite songs was Alicia Keys' "Sleeping with a Broken Heart," and she recalls being fascinated by its drum pattern, which she can still remember to this day.
However, her journey into music production began during a challenging period in her life. Following a traumatic experience, she reached a point where she wanted to move away from unhealthy coping mechanisms and find a more positive creative outlet.
That decision led her to experiment with making beats on GarageBand.
Her first attempt was a house instrumental, which eventually inspired her to write a song. A few months later, her sister approached her for assistance with her EP, Timeless. Imanie produced three beats for the project using BandLab, and the positive response from her sister encouraged her to pursue production more seriously.
As she continued developing her skills, she quickly discovered that she was a natural learner and genuinely enjoyed the creative process. She dedicated time and effort to improving her craft, even when there was no financial reward.
For Imanie, knowing that she was developing the ability to produce, record, and create her own music was already rewarding.
She also learned how to mix and master her vocals, giving her greater independence and creative control over her projects.
"I don't have to depend on someone else to bring my ideas to life. At the end of the day, I want to make people feel something, whether it's excitement, happiness, confidence or just a sense of escape."
A COLOURFUL SOUND: DANCEHALL, HOUSE AND DENNERY SEGMENT
Imanie's musical interests extend across several genres, including dancehall, house music and the Dennery Segment. Each genre offers something different that she enjoys incorporating into her productions.
She appreciates the energetic bounce of dancehall and the freedom associated with house music, while Dennery Segment remains particularly important because of her Saint Lucian background.
Her first Dennery Segment production earned a placement with UMPA, an artiste who won the Caribbean Music Award for Best Dennery Segment Artist. She also secured another placement with Tallyboy and G6 Productions.
When it comes to combining genres, Imanie says the process happens naturally. She typically begins with a melody and gradually develops the instrumental, allowing the creative direction to guide her.
What makes her productions distinctive, she believes, is the emotion and intention behind every sound.
"I want my productions to tell a story without needing words. I'm also really good at blending Caribbean sounds with international influences. I love creating music that allows you to feel deeply while still getting lit at the same time."
MUSICAL INFLUENCES AND CREATIVE INSPIRATION
Imanie draws inspiration from a diverse collection of international and Caribbean artistes, including Kanye West, Rick Ross, Prince Swanny, Meek Mill, Tory Lanez, Drake, Calvin Harris, Diplo, Gunna, Skillibeng, Malie Donn and Lil Wayne.
When discussing producers who inspire her specifically, she highlights KP from Trinidad, popularly known as Run It Again KP, whom she met this year. His talent and approach to production have left a lasting impression on her.
She also expresses admiration for Jay Versace, particularly his ability to incorporate soul, creativity, and intention into his productions.
"That man has SOUL! You can hear the soul, creativity, and intention in what he does."
Her own creative process is heavily influenced by her emotions. Whether she is angry, depressed, playful, or feeling particularly adventurous, she often channels those emotions into music.
She usually begins with a melody before allowing the chords, pads, electric guitar, or whichever instrument she is working with to guide the direction of the production.
BALANCING LIFE AS A PRODUCER AND RECORDING ARTISTE
For Imanie, being both a producer and recording artiste is equally fulfilling. She enjoys both sides of her artistry and believes that proper scheduling, planning, and intentionality are essential to managing her responsibilities.
Behind the scenes, she handles several roles, including managing, marketing, styling, producing, and performing.
Having the ability to create her own instrumentals, write her songs and record her vocals gives her the creative freedom she values.
Her approach also changes depending on who she is producing for. When creating music for herself, she often makes the instrumental and writes simultaneously, piecing everything together like a jigsaw puzzle.
However, when producing for another artiste, she pays closer attention to that individual's style and musical direction. She may hum along to the instrumental or imagine how the artiste would sound over the beat before finalising the production.
Her songwriting is equally personal. She draws from her current experiences and the life she envisions for herself, incorporating her ambitions and manifestations into her music.
And for anyone who crosses her, she has a humorous warning: "If you cross me, just know I'm making a beat or a song about you!"
BREAKING BARRIERS IN A MALE-DOMINATED INDUSTRY
Like many women navigating the music business, Imanie has encountered challenges working in a predominantly male-dominated environment.
She admits that some of the cold behaviour she experienced early in her journey was difficult to understand. However, she remains confident in her abilities and believes she has her own path to create.
"I'm not coming into this industry trying to take anybody's place. I'm here to build something of my own. I know what I bring to the table, and I stay focused on my own journey."
Rather than becoming distracted by the attitudes of others, she continues to concentrate on developing her sound, building relationships and creating opportunities for herself.
PRODUCTION CREDITS AND MUSICAL PROJECTS
Imanie has already been involved in a growing collection of projects, both as a solo artiste and as a producer working alongside other musical talents.
Her production and collaboration credits include:
UMPA – "Mouyé"
Mouyé – "Doh Tell Me Nothing!"
Cxdet – "FEVER" featuring Shiloh
2003
Tallyboy & Imanie – "Side Miami"
De Lyla – "Crazy For You"
De Lyla – "More Than Friends" (upcoming release)
These projects represent different aspects of her musical journey, highlighting her versatility and willingness to experiment with different sounds.
She has also collaborated with UMPA, Tallyboy and G6 Productions.
When asked about her dream collaborations, Imanie names Drake, Popcaan, Prince Swanny, Travis Scott, Swae Lee and French Montana as artistes she would love to work with in the future.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR IMANIE?
With several surprises in the pipeline, Imanie is preparing to expand her musical catalogue through individual releases and exciting collaborations.
Listeners can expect more music, more experimentation and continued development of her sound.
She has also been making a deliberate effort to become more consistent with her releases and online presence.
"Y'all are about to see me everywhere! I'm also putting more effort into networking and reaching out to people, regardless of platform size."
Although she proudly acknowledges her Saint Lucian roots, Imanie wants her musical identity to extend beyond geographical boundaries. Her ambition is to establish herself as an individual creative force while allowing her background to remain an important part of her identity.
When creating her first Dennerry Segment beat, she approached the genre from a personal perspective, asking herself what her own interpretation of the sound would be.
Rather than simply recreating what was already being done, she incorporated elements of her individuality into the production.
She also believes Caribbean music has significant potential to reach even wider international audiences. Dancehall, in particular, has been attracting increased global attention, with cross-genre collaborations introducing Caribbean artistes to new listeners.
She points to collaborations such as Skillibeng and Rob49 as examples of how different musical worlds can connect.
For Imanie, there are endless possibilities for Caribbean music to connect with hip-hop, house and Afro house.
However, she believes one of the challenges facing the local music industry is the lack of support for artistes exploring sounds outside the more established Dennery Segment and soca genres.
"Those genres are important, but there's so much more talent exploring different sounds that deserves the same opportunities and support."
DREAMING BIG AND BUILDING A LASTING LEGACY
Looking ahead over the next three to five years, Imanie has ambitious goals for both her personal life and musical career.
She envisions herself achieving approximately seven major hits, owning her dream car, an all-black Range Rover, purchasing her own property, living abroad, travelling, performing internationally, building valuable industry connections, and experiencing sold-out shows.
She is not afraid to dream big, and she is determined to put in the work required to turn those ambitions into reality.
Ultimately, Imanie wants audiences to understand that her music and artistry are here to stay. She hopes to leave a significant imprint on as many musical projects as possible while creating songs and productions that people will remember.
"I have a lot of faith in what I'm doing, and I genuinely believe anything is possible. I just need the opportunity to put my ideas out into the world, and I believe the music will speak for itself. I'm here to create, experiment and leave my mark."
With a colourful musical background, a passion for experimentation and a growing catalogue of production and recording credits, Imanie is determined to carve out a distinctive space for herself in the Caribbean music industry.
Her journey is a reminder that musical identity does not have to be confined to one genre, territory or creative role. Sometimes, the most exciting sounds emerge when an artiste dares to experiment, embrace different influences, and create something entirely their own.
FOLLOW IMANIE
Fans and supporters can follow Imanie, stream her music, explore her production work, and stay updated on upcoming releases through her Linktree.
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