By Tanya Batson, Staff ReporterVIBRANT IS probably the word which fluidly springs into the mind when one is trying to describe Karen Smith. Anyone who has seen her perform her cabaret act has been witness to a person who certainly exudes the joie de vive (joy of life). Talking to her brings the same result.
Karen Smith seems to have more than her fair share of sugar and spice, which is fabulously mixed in with intelligent confidence. The result is an engaging, entertaining woman who makes you want to laugh when she does.
She explains that this spark has been in her since early childhood. "I was never what country people would call a dark child," she explained, pointing to the fact that she revels in attention. "My mother says that when I was in church, at age three, I would sing loud and stand up on the bench and look around and see if anybody watching me!" she explains before bursting into laughter yet again. Karen explains that she would also willingly sing My Boy Lollipop for anyone who made the request.
This treat has been passed on to one of the stars of Karen's life, her daughter Courtni. "My daughter has come to outshine me," she says. "She's way ahead of me as far as darkness goes."
These days, Karen is often in the limelight. She has earned a reputation as one of Jamaica's best cabaret and jazz performers. Even so, she has not run the full stretch of her dreams. She explains that she too would like to be too famous to walk down the street in peace. Even so, she has so far been very successful
and is quiet enjoying her life and her livelihood. She is the first in her family to explore the professional side of music. "I discovered very early that that is where I'd like to live - in the limelight," she laughs.
This discovery was made well before she realised that what she really wanted to do with her life was sing. Her love for performance was cemented when she heard Ella Fitzgerald, as exemplified in Fitzgerald's version of Mack the Knife. She explains, "You see once I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing... I said yah! See me there."
However, Karen did not make her way straight to the stage. After reading for a bachelor of science degree in commerce at Concordia University in Canada, Karen took on a job in the world of banking. However, this work was not suited to her nature. The problem was that she cannot imagine her life without music. "When I was trying life as a banker I knew there must be something else out there," she explains. So finally, Karen traded in her nice 'bank work' and took on a musical career, becoming one of the fortunate few who have found a job that they love. That was fifteen years ago.
Since then she has harboured no regrets. The reason is simple: singing to an audience fills her with complete, unadulterated joy. "Please realise that there is nowhere else I would rather be (than on the stage)," she says. Of course, being a performer is by no means a crystal stair.
Karen explains that though she has had rough financial patches, she has never got to the point where she hopes to give up her musical career. "I never get down, in terms of 'Lawd have mercy ah wish ah had a desk work'. Because I don't know what else I would rather be doing."
As a result, when like in any other job she comes across the unpleasant parts, she gives herself a little pep talk saying, "Well you can arrange to get back a lovely desk... if that's what you want." There is still no desk in her future. "I know that I am meant to be a singer. I know that I would like to do more," she explains.
A part of the 'more' that Karen would like to do is boost her recording career. She currently has a song Solid Rock on the album I'll Be Lonely. Karen explains that her recordings all lack that special thing which her live performance exudes. She believes that a part of the reason she performs better on-stage than in the 'lonely' studio, is the joy she feels when performing to an audience. "I do best with an audience. So maybe everything I do should be live!" she says with a laugh.
Her desire to improve her recorded work has to do with her wish to create music which speaks directly to the heart. It also explains her love for Ella Fitzgerald. Karen explains that what attracts her to Fitzgerald style is the 'liveliness' that comes through in the former songstress' performance. "What Ella could put across, with the band going at knots behind her..." she says in absolute awe.
Karen also hopes to create more original work. Although she manages to put her stamp on every thing she performs, she wants to tap into her own creativity. When asked about how creating her own work is going she says (mock mournfully) "Slow... I need to tap into my creativity." Karen explains that she does not know exactly what is holding her back, and wonders if it is a fear of failure. She knows that it is important to get cracking since time is going.
This revelation also leads to a part of her philosophies of life. She believes that there are two great equalisers: God and Time. "One of the great equalising factors is that everybody, no matter how rich you are, you have the same 24 hours in your day. You can't buy another second. And no matter how rich you are, money cannot buy happiness, or peace of mind. What a lovely comforting, equalising thought!" she delighted in saying. She would later explain that the same applies to God as rich and poor have the same access to Him. She explains that she is working on her relationship with God, which is fortunately getting better every day. Solid Rock speaks to that relationship.
Karen says that she is currently exploring her spirituality and leaves all successes up to God. Prayer and the love for her job keep her going.
As one of Jamaica's top cabaret performers, Karen is in high demand. As such her schedule is often hectic. "You have to just decide that that is how you live," she says. Even so, skipping from Montego Bay to Kingston and then back to Ocho Rios can be quite tiring.
She explains that part of what makes her able to do what she can is an excellent support system at home, her husband, mother and her housekeeping. "I think that a child and the time that you give is very important," she explains. "When I think of motherhood, I think of the time." This is very tricky to balance with her time-consuming profession. Karen realises, however, that it is an even more difficult balancing act for women in the pop world than in her sphere. She explains that on the cabaret circuit, once you are established work comes looking for you. The pop world is a more difficult arena to navigate, especially for women.
This does not daunt her however. She explains that while she knows that attempts to 'disadvantage' women exist, she has not witnessed any. She also knows that who you are has a lot to do with how people treat you. As such, Karen is resting her future in the Lord's hands. "Suppose I'm saying 'God I want a number one hit in Jamaica and You (God) have plans to get me a worldwide hit', don't is Your will I must ask for?" she says with a laugh. She explains that since God is wiser, she must leave her career in His hands.
She explains, "I'm at a nice place right now." Her only problem is to get that elusive it which she finds in the works of Ella, Marcia Griffiths, Whitney Houston, Anita Baker, Desmond Dekker, Bob Marley and Toots Hibbert. She says of Griffiths, "I could listen to her all day, all night. It's like she singing to right here (touches the place over her heart). There is something so pleasing so comforting in Marcia Griffiths' voice. I don't know what it is, but it is there." That seems to be the closest she comes to describing the it she seeks to imbed into her recorded works.
Even though this it still eludes her, Karen explains that she does not believe in regrets and her only one (which she can do nothing about) is her father's death. The bubbly character one sees on-stage is not just a happy face she puts on for the crowd, she explains. "I don't say there are no days when I don't feel down, when I feel blue, but I cannot stay there. Bad memories will always come and it is your job to bless them and run them back to where they came from. Because they can overtake you and drown you."
Karen explains that once she starts singing, any blues disappear. "I am so lucky that no matter how low I am, when those hot lights turn on... poof! I am so blessed!" she says.
