The Asian-looking artist, who shares space within the industry with her equally talented sister Tessanne, is excited about the prospects for her album.“People think I’m trying to be a diva but that’s totally not the case. I think that a Prima Donna is a woman who is confident in herself,” she says. “There is a difference between being confident and cocky.”

 

What’s distinctive about Tami is that she’s an artist with an eclectic blend of musical genres. You’ll also realize that she doesn’t fit into the mold of the typical Jamaican female artist. Tami brings a new flavor to the industry with her own unique way of doing things, so you better pay attention. “I have always injected some amount of pop in my music. Every time people hear a Jamaican they think you have to be a reggae or dancehall artist. I’m hoping to broaden people’s minds,” she says. “My musical style is ever-changing; I don’t stick in one genre for too long.” And what of her album? “It has a pop feel, kinda ’80s, some still have that reggae feel. People are trying to keep me in a box and I hope my fans will grow with me.” She describes her album as an easy, breezy album and hopes that “people will feel good listening to it.”

 

Her first US major-label single “Frozen” which features label mate Akon was released last year and has gotten rave reviews from the public. Also to its merit, one version of the video has received as much as 372,640 views and more on the popular video-sharing site Youtube.

 

In it, you’ll notice that Tami is headed in a new direction and is not afraid to take risks. 

With local hits such as “Hyperventilating” and “Give It To Me,” Tami hopes that “Frozen” will signal her intent to the world. Take notice, because she is ready to claim her piece of the pie.

 

She is full of surprises no doubt, and is determined to remain true to her roots; roots that started with her performing on one of Jamaica’s most popular festivals, Reggae Sumfest, and performing as an opening act for universally known Jamaican reggae artists Sean Paul and Shaggy.

 

With all that experience, she says the highlight of her career was going on tour as an opening act for long-time American pop group New Kids on the Block, a few years ago.“It was amazing. I felt excited and honored to be a part of that. It was a reunion tour and I sang before 20,000 people every night,” she says, with obvious excitement in her voice. These days her highlights include a recent marriage to reggae singer Wayne Marshall.

 

Now that talk of her music career is out of the way, it’s time to get personal with the 25-year-old, who admits that she has only been in two serious relationships prior to getting married.Tami Chynn is a force to be reckoned with. You’d probably be surprised to know that if she wasn’t bitten by the music bug, she would ideally be at home caring for her kids; many of whom she plans to have in the near future.“I would be a mother with 10 children. Yes, 10. If I could, I would be at home. I wanted to at one point become an attorney. I would probably become a teacher,” she says. “There is something wonderful about empowering minds.”

 

If you know anything about Tami Chynn, you will probably know that she is a very private person, who has managed to keep her personal life out of the public eye. That’s something, she says, she has had to learn at the beginning of her music career.

“I learned very early, because before you know people are more interested in your life than what you’re doing,” she says. And with that, there is no more talk of her relationships.

 

Tami admits that if she isn’t recording in the studio or performing on stage you’ll probably find her at your favorite local movie theatre. “I’m either at the movies or at my mom’s house with my sister,” she says. “I love to eat, I love home-cooked food and I love to go to restaurants. People would be surprised to know that I love to bake and cook; I’m a nurturer. People see me at the movies all the time. I pretty much live there,” she says with a laugh.

 

In about five years, Tami hopes to be doing big things in the entertainment industry. “I’m hoping that by then I would have had two successful albums, a baby and maybe a movie script,” she says. Giving back is important to Tami, and she has recognized the vital role that being a part of Little People (a once popular entertainment group for young Jamaicans) played in her development as an artist. “I want to set up a performing arts school in Jamaica. It was such an important part of my life. If I wasn’t in Little People I wouldn’t have been here today,” she declares. “Let’s give the kids something to do that they’re good at. I also want to set up a sporting facility to train some more Usain Bolts and Asafa Powells.” Whichever path she decides to travel next and however long achieving her goals might take, one thing is obvious: Tami Chynn is an artist with a big voice and even bigger dreams. Dreams that would probably scare the average person, but then again Tami is far from average. With her it’s apparent that anything is possible.