What’s Next For Malissa Alanna

Last week we learnt about the young singer Malissa Alanna’s journey so far in the music industry, and how much her life has changed in less than a year, which now leads us into our photoshoot which was an adventure in itself. After having Brittany Tuleja (Cosmetic Ink) enhance the beauty that already is Malissa Alanna, the Fam Jam took us down to the South Coast of the island, where Malissa Alanna draws inspiration from. We stopped in Bathsheeba on the East Coast first and got some shots along the coastline trails and on the shallow reef before heading over to Cattlewash to hopefully get some shots in the hills.

Malissa Alanna (All photos by Mikey Rapley)

Unfortunately, the recent rains had caused the tracks to collapse and we were forced to seek a backdrop elsewhere. Mum’s constant paranoia of “bush men”, and dad’s banter kept the whole journey entertaining, as we headed towards Chalky Mount. What we found instead was what mum referred to as “space junk” and to be fair, I couldn’t quite tell what the purpose of the object could have previously been. But I know one thing; it made for a great prop!

 Malissa Alanna posing with the "space junk".

The last two outfits took us to the other end of the East Coast stretch in Bath, where dad knew a perfect rundown house to get some awesome shots, and as anyone who is familiar with my work knows, I love anything run down and abandoned. We then finished off the shoot at the small river at the top of Bath where there is a cute waterfall.

On our way home I got to chat to the Fam Jam. Dad was worried that being Malissa’s manager would affect their relationship, but it turns out it works out just fine as they both see eye to eye on many things. The only real problem was apparently getting Malissa Alanna to learn the guitar, but sure enough he finally got through to her, and she definitely doesn’t regret it. Dad has a positive outlook on life and it reflects in Malissa Alanna, who is also very humble.

So what’s next for Malissa Alanna? Well the Fam Jam doesn’t want to reveal too much, in fear of “jinxing” anything. But what is certain is that she will be returning to Nashville in November to record a few more songs and re-record one track in particular. Dad assures us that “things look positive”, so let’s keep Malissa Alanna in our thoughts!

Sound Kitchen are looking forward to having her back and have described her as beyond her years, in not only her maturity but her song-writing ability.

I couldn’t end the interview without getting some more juicy info about our young artiste! As it turns out, Malissa Alanna was quite the tomboy in her early years, with skateboarding, surfing and motorcross as her hobbies. She also has hardly any girlfriends. All her close friends are males, who she refers to as “her boys” and in return she is called “Country Queen”. Malissa Alanna very rarely goes out partying and would rather have the boys over to chill.

And something else that may make you wonder – Malissa Alanna actually doesn’t listen to much Country music at all. She prefers her dance hall, dub, techno and soca, just as many other Bajans would. She sings Country because she has an appreciation for the music and the stories it tells. Plus, her voice suits the genre.

Malissa Alanna and the Fam Jam would like to emphasise how grateful they are for the local support they have been getting, not only from fans, but also fellow Bajan artistes who have been there for her, given her advice, and made her feel welcome. Special thanks to Bajan Tube and the Starcom Network, who have been showcasing her music. Feel free to request not only her covers, but her first released single “Vitamin C” from 104.1 or 98.1 FM. To find out more information on Malissa Alanna, keep up to date with her activity and hear her tunes, please feel free to follow her on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace and her website.

Check out the full photoshoot below.

Photography: Mikey Rapley

Make-up: Brittany Tuleja of Cosmetic Ink

Clothing & accessories: Malissa Alanna's own

This has been a Hidden Gems feature. Every other week, Mikey Rapley will interview young and talented Bajans who deserve a chance to shine in the spotlight. Next week: Barrio Dimitri!