Rupee

Rupee
Background information
Birth name	Rupert Clarke
Also known as	Rupee
Born	September 10, 1975 (1975-09-10) (age 34)
Origin	Barbados
Genres	Soca, Reggae
Years active	1997–2000 (group) 2000–present (solo)
Labels	Atlantic Records
Website	thisisrupee.com

Rupert Clarke (born September 10, 1975), best known by his stage name Rupee, is a soca musician from Barbados. He was born in military barracks in Germany to a German mother and a Bajan father, who was serving in the British armed forces at the time. He later migrated to Barbados. He is signed to Atlantic Records.

Early life

By the age of nine, Rupee had lived in three different cultures - German, English, and Barbadian. His parents both suffered from AIDS which has impacted his personal and musical life.

Spending his first years in England, he was exposed to a contrast of sounds which reflected his parents' diverse backgrounds: calypso and reggae on the side of his West Indian father, pop and rock 'n' roll from his European mother. His two older brothers would perform rap in Germany and England and he would use their influence to "scribble down my little verse or two!". He and his siblings would often perform on stage, coming up with all sorts of chants, rhymes and antics to tease the audience. Rupee eventually moved to Barbados in 1985. He had his first major break after winning the Richard Stoute Teen Talent Competition in 1993, when he was a schoolboy at Harrison College, the country's most prestigious grammar school. This came as a major surprise to him, as he was coerced by friends to just "try a ting" by entering the competition.

Career

1997–2000: Coalishun

Rupee emerged on the local soca scene after being invited to join the then popular Bajan band, Coalishun, along with singers like Terencia Coward-"TC" and Adrian Clarke in 1997. Though initially more dancehall oriented, Rupee would find himself settling into the reggae-soca genre, a genre indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago. This was marked by the release of his first hit single "Ice Cream".

2000-present: Solo

"Ice Cream" was followed by a string of hit songs from three self-released solo albums. "Jump," from his first album, won Rupee repeated Road March titles at carnivals in Barbados, New York, Miami, Boston, and Toronto. "Tempted to Touch," from his second album, enjoyed over two years of international club play, spreading to urban and pop radio in Toronto and Miami. It became the catalyst for Rupee’s worldwide deal with Atlantic Records– as well as the first single from his newly released 1 On 1.

Before deciding to pursue music full-time, Rupee explored other careers. After completing an associate degree in Graphic Arts from the Barbados Community College, he remained in that field for some time, working with two public relations/advertising agencies in Barbados. "I really needed to make a decision about working in advertising or music. So in 2000, I became a solo artist." Rupee has kept all of his creative sides busy by playing an active role in the design of his website, and the visual marketing of his self-released projects.

Initially acclaimed in the competitive and fertile 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.

Achievements

Apart from dominating the charts in the Caribbean, Rupee has also gone Gold in Japan and in most of Europe. Furthermore, "Do The Damn Thing" (DTDT), a bonus track from his latest album, 1 On 1, recently featured in an episode of the popular American TV series Desperate Housewives.

Over the years Rupee has amassed a number of Party Monarch and Road March titles not only in Barbados, but also at West Indian Carnivals in the United States and Canada. His most popular hits have included "Ice Cream", "Jump" and the internationally released, "Tempted to Touch".

In 2007, Rupee along with Jamaican Shaggy and Trinidadian Fay-Ann Lyons recorded the official song for the 2007 Cricket World Cup - "The Game of Love and Unity" - written by Rupee himself. ^[1]

He is a promoter of HIV/AIDS awareness. He is in the preliminary stages of talking with The Body Shop in order to raise funds towards creating AIDS awareness and research. They have these AIDS/HIV bracelets that are $10 for one and all of the funds go towards creating AIDS awareness and research, in order to impact the Caribbean with these bands.

He has worked with artists such as Shaggy, Sean Paul, Thara, Fay Ann Lyons, Alison Hinds, T.G E.N.T,Lil Kim, Kevin Lyttle, Daddy Yankee, Wisin & Yandel, Rihanna, Khatera and Shirin.

See also

• List of Barbadians

References

1. ^ Toronto-Lime.com - Soca Track

External links

• Calypsonians.com
• http://www.toronto-lime.com/music/profiles/rupee.htm
• http://www.myspace.com/rupeemusic