AT the Guyana ‘Independence’ celebrations in New York later this month, local artiste Oninelle ‘Omaje’ Joseph, who sings a fusion of jazz and reggae music, promises to make her performance ‘all Guyanese’.

The singer, who has since clarified that she is not a dancehall artiste as was incorrectly being peddled on social media and posters, said her intention in New York is to represent her country to the fullest.

“We intend to showcase us; what we do. We are not going to go out there and do the Jamaican style or the American style; so when we are on stage, we will be bringing out the Guyanese in our performance,” Omaje told The Buzz in an interview at the Guyana Chronicle.

“We are going to be representing Guyana, because at the end of the day, even though I want to work outside of Guyana, I still want to be known as a Guyanese; my culture, my roots, everything,” Omaje added.

The singer, who was born and raised in Linden, has worked hard over the years to establish herself in the industry, and things got even better for her when she met her manager, Kwesi Gilbert, better known as Malachi.

“The work that we’ve put in is tremendous,” she said, adding: “There is not enough scope for us here, so we had to reach out to people outside of Guyana. You have times when people would tell you they’re not interested without even listening to your music or without paying you any mind. People don’t take us seriously, so it’s a double fight to get to where you want to be.”

She is hoping that more will be done for local artistes in the future. “It’s not easy when you’re coming from a country that doesn’t really support their local artistes. It’s a fight; it’s a struggle, but we’ll get there.”

Omaje, who feels she was born with her talent, began following her dreams of becoming a singer for as long as she can remember. Her passion for this field was aroused since she was a child, and she can recall singing along to every song. Her mom, too, did her part in nurturing Omaje’s interest in singing.

Singing professionally for the past ten years, Omaje ensured she got registered as an artiste, and even started writing her own music.

Omaje definitely has big plans for herself and her music. “I never saw myself limited to just Guyana or the Caribbean,” the young Lindener said. “There’s Europe, Africa, America, everywhere! It’s exciting; a dream come true, because it is something we have been working towards! I always knew that this would have happened, and believing in yourself gets you to that point. So it’s satisfying to know that I am really here!”

Omaje and her manager will leave for New York within a matter of days, and will then be heading over to Canada and other destinations around the world to perform.

She is very proud of the genre of music that she has chosen to do. “This is a new style. For the most part, we haven’t heard about anyone else doing a fusion of jazz and reggae. So for now, that’s a fresh thing.”