Lead composer of 'The Game of Love and Unity', Rupee. - Contributed

"Music is all about evolution and progression. My sound is unique and that has allowed me to create my own niche." - Rupee, 2004

With a sweet sexy voice which mesmerises, Rupert 'Rupee' Clarke can get any lady grooving in a soca party.

Born in Germany to a white German mother and a black Barbadian father, Rupee spent his first years in England, where he was exposed to a number of sounds such as reggae, calypso, rock 'n roll and pop. When he was nine he migrated to Barbados, where he got his first major break after winning a local teen talent competition when he was at Harrison College. He emerged on the soca scene after being invited to join the then popular Barbadian band, Coalishun, in 1997. With no formal musical education, but an adventurous and well-tuned ear for hooks and vocal arrangements, Rupee became a natural innovator.

He stoked the progress of soca music - especially in expanding its reach to the young - by fusing it with hip hop and dancehall. Though initially more dancehall-oriented, Rupee found himself performing a type of ragga-soca genre indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago. He says, "In Coalishun, my role was to chant (rap) when one of the vocalists was unavailable for a session, I ended up singing a calypso song, even though dancehall was really my thing."

Musical comfort zone

Rupee first hit big with Ice Cream, which blew up the Caribbean charts. He had found his musical comfort zone and started composing in earnest. "Performing Ice Cream on-stage, seeing it touch the audiences at Barbados's Crop Over Festival, in Trinidad, England, Canada and New York, made me realise the power of my own pen," says Rupee. It was a power that reached Jamaica full force with the smash hit, Tempted to Touch. The song was on the top 40 of the Billboard, number 12 on the Hot 100 singles, and on the dance sales charts it was number one. On television, it got heavy rotation on BET and VH1.

50,000 certification plaque

In February 2006, it was awarded the 50,000 certification plaque. Tempted to Touch enjoyed over two years of international club play, spreading to urban and pop radio in Toronto and Miami. The song became the catalyst for Rupee's worldwide deal with Atlantic Records as well as the first single from his recently released album, 1 On 1.

1 On 1 celebrated Rupee's sense of his multinational heritage and his brimming, forward-looking confidence in his original music. "I wanted to accomplish a diversity in this album and expose different sides of soca music. I didn't want to tread a fixed line. We used a lot of acoustic guitar and percussion and a lot of universal sounds; you can hear rock, R&B and hardcore reggae, as well as pure soca. I think it's possible to bring various elements of music to the soca art form, and that can bring it to a wider audience," he said.

Charismatic and inspiring

Initially acclaimed in the competitive culture of the yearly Caribbean carnivals, Rupee has gone on to win over masses of jubilant fans through his high-energy performances at festivals and concerts throughout North America and Europe. Supported by his vibrant Caribbean-based band, he is a charismatic and inspiring live performer who represents the supercharged party music of the Caribbean. He notes that "Caribbean music as a whole has had a marvellous resurgence in the last two years. The likes of Sean Paul, Shaggy and Elephant Man have opened doors for soca to walk through. It's a beautiful thing. With the background I have it's natural for me to experiment and I think it's necessary and good for the music."

"I try to have as much fun as possible, but I always also inject positively. There are sensual moments, but it's never overdone. I try to be responsible and create a vibe that's about love and upliftment. While I tell the audience to jump and wave and get all crazy, we also have to give thanks and acknowledge the Almighty," he said.

Extracts taken from www.thisisrupee.com