This is the page where you will find out more personal information about me. Here, I’ve answered questions that I often get asked.
Enjoy!
Where were you born?
I was born in Lancaster Gate in Central London.
What is your ethnic heritage?
Even though some people think that the indigenous population of the Caribbean Islands are no more we still exist. Proudly, I am a mixture of Carib and Arawak Indian, Chinese and French on my Father’s side and African, Latin American (Spanish) and Carib Indian on my Mother’s side.Where does your surname come from?
Guevara is actually my Grandmother’s surname. It is Matrilineal surname; meaning it comes from my Mother’s side of the family.
And how do you pronounce your surname?
It’s really the first part that people have trouble with. The ‘gue’ is said like the ‘gu’ in gut, then ‘va’ and ‘ra’ are like ‘a’ in far. It is said like Guevara in Ché Guevara.
Are you related to Ché Guevara?
I’m a musical revolutionary.
Do you come from a family of musicians?
No. However, apparently, my Grandfather, on my Mother’s side, played the saxophone when he was young. Sadly, I never got to see that side of his character.
Did you sing as a child?
That’s a huge, YES! I can’t remember a time when I did not sing. My first memory is having to learn the song ‘All Kinds of Everything’ in Spanish for nursery school at the age of four. I remember practising the song on my Grandmother’s porch in Trinidad. It must have been a massive task.
I sang along to all types of music as a toddler - from Michael Jackson to Calypsos being played on local radio and BBC World. I also sat and watched musicals with my Grandmother and loved Frank Sinatra. There is a photograph of me as a baby in my cot with a Nat King Cole Album in a record rack beside me. So I guess as a baby I must have been a Nat King Cole fan.
What was the first single you bought and what was the first music you owned?
The first single I bought was an Iron Maiden single. I can’t even remember what it was. That must have been when I was about 13.
The first music I personally owned was at the age of 11. My Uncle gave me an old record player and the Album ‘Light as a Feather’ by Chick Corea and an Album of Calypsos. One of the Calypsos was called ‘Sly Mongoose’ by Lord Invader.
So you listened to musicals and jazz in your youth?
Well, a mixture of musical genres really. I listened to my parent’s record collection mainly or my sister’s. I listened to Mozart, the Beatles and The Carpenters whilst doing chores and danced round the house to Soca music or music in the Charts. I’d hear Bob Dylan, The Stones, Joan Armatrading and Randy Crawford throughout the house when my Dad was home and relaxed on Sundays. However, my favourite Album of my Dad’s was one by Ramsey Lewis.
So where exactly did you spend your childhood?
I was born in London and went to Trinidad as a baby. I returned to the UK at the age of 10, made my way back to Trinidad at the age of 16 and came back again at 21 to England. Since then I’ve also lived for a year in Hong Kong.
So you’ve done lots of travelling?
Yes. Not for a while though.
Where is the best place you have visited?
Can’t choose between these – The Himalayas in Nepal, travelling round Rajasthan in India, The Amazon rainforest in Venezuela, Paris, Berlin and of course, Tobago.
Is there anywhere you’d like to visit?
Yes, Cuba because of the music and Mexico because of the history. However, every country has something special to offer.
What are your favourite foods?
Potatoes, nuts, butter (from childhood I could be given rice, potatoes or bread and butter and be happy), fish and jelly. I know, the combination sounds horrible.
What was your first job?
At 17 I walked into a boutique in Trinidad and was asked by the owner if I would like to work for her. Her name was Janelle ‘Penny’ Commissiong and she was the first Black Miss Universe. That job was fun as I went over to Miami and New York to get merchandise for the boutique and was given clothes to wear. We also did fashion shows and hosted the Miss Trinidad and Tobago Contest.
After that job I went off to live on a farming estate for a year with no electricity and where most of the food I ate was grown on the land or hunted for once a week.
How did you become a performer then?
At 21 I answered an advert in The Stage and joined a Blues/Pop Band called ‘The Agency’ as the Lead Singer. We performed our own songs at a few pubs and colleges.
And how did you get into jazz?
I was cleaning my house one day with my friend and I got fed up as it seemed never-ending. I told my friend I was off to the library and asked if she wanted to come too. She just wanted to finish off what she was doing so I trotted off by myself. While there, I came across a Frank Sinatra songbook and quietly started singing ‘Fly Me to the Moon’. A visitor to the library heard me and asked if I would sing some ‘swing’ and ‘jazz’ at his wedding. I told him I didn’t have a band but I would sort that out and do it. That’s how I got into singing jazz and swing!
You have had a charmed life!
Not really! I have suffered childhood abuse (won’t elaborate here), I’ve been divorced and homeless, and I constantly have to get through challenging situations. Nevertheless, I am a glass-full type of person and I’m always hopeful of the future.
You have written the songs for your Album, Diversity Exposé. It’s a very personal, autobiographical album. How did you get into song-writing?
I would often have songs come to me but I would just let them go. It was a ‘being in the moment’ thing for me. Then about two years ago I got an email stating that ‘a world famous’ book publishing company was looking for a song for a talking book they would soon be releasing. I had never recorded any of my songs before and there wasn’t much time till the deadline. I therefore forgot about the email. A few days later, I woke up with a song in my head and decided to somehow get it down on paper, get it recorded and submit it. I might as well have said I was going to walk to Nepal and climb Mount Everest.
However, never one to give up easily, I did submit the song in London with about 5 minutes to spare to deadline. The process was hairy and I didn’t win the contract. Nevertheless, it gave me the inspiration to write songs for an Album. That then took me on a journey of lots and lots of hard work, massive blockages and great frustration, trials and errors, patience and determination. Most of the time it seemed an impossible mission but I finally got the CD in my hand on the last day of March 2010 and the Album was released on Download Stores at the beginning of June 2010.
As you stated, the songs on Diversity Exposé are very personal and listeners often tell me they’ve been through similar experiences. They tell me how much the songs have touched them. I love getting direct feedback from Fans and listeners. As an artist it is about connecting with your audience and through my music I have achieved this.
Is Diversity Exposé a jazz album?
No! Each track has its own identity and genre. The music combined with the lyrics tell a story and the Album has a mixture of Adult Contemporary songs, World Music, a Bossa Nova, a Blues, a Spiritual, a Disco and a Brit Pop number. Only ‘Live Without Fear’ is a real jazzy, RnB track. But ultimately it’s for the listener to decide. Maybe it’s just Guevara music.
You have a First Class Hons Degree and a Masters Degree, I suppose that helped with your song-writing?
Not exactly. My song-writing is different as it’s all about feelings, emotions, my experiences and creativity. I leave the theorizing to the critics.
Lastly, tell us an unusual fact about you.
I’ve never ever had a headache.