RENNE Chester, a local Reggae artiste, sees himself representing Guyana on a global level within the near future. He has been singing for as long as he can remember, and believes he has enough talent to make it big in the music industry.

At 29,    Chester is the proud father of young Antwan, and is currently a senior sales and marketing representative at the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company’s (GT&T) Blackberry office, but is still pursuing his music on the side.

In a recent interview with Pepperpot, Chester recalled being among the ‘top 10’ in the GT&T Jingle and Song Competition of 2007 and 2009. He couldn’t participate this year because he is now employed with the telephone company.

According to him, he has generated a lot of fans since 2007, and is already deemed a local artiste. “So I think the competition is more for amateur singers who are now trying to get into the industry. By now I can say I have gray hairs being in the industry,” he remarked.

Renne is recognized locally for many things. For instance, he is the host of ‘Epic Hype’, a television show that is aired on National Communications Network (NCN) every Saturday from 1.00 to 1.30 pm. He is also recognized from the GT&T Competition.

Last July 5, he launched ‘Epic Hype Radio’ with a view to increasing his number of fans. This radio programme mirrors the concept of his TV show, which is basically about fashion, comedy, health, interviews with celebrities, and other hot topics.  

Boys’ Choir
Renne recalled that, as a child, when it came to singing, he got a little push in his primary school. He stayed back after class to be a part of the West Ruimveldt Boys’ Choir, and he said the teacher apparently saw his potential and helped him along. Other members of that same choir are still singing today, Renne said.

He strongly believes that music is something that should motivate others. “If someone is having a sad day, you could be able to pass a smile to him. So whenever persons hear anything from me, it will always be something positive,” he said.

He writes all of his songs, and they are mostly generated from societal norms or his personal experiences. Most of Renne’s songs are about love, peace, and unity. And how he loves to sing to ladies! “I believe this is one of God’s greatest gifts to a man…that of having a woman at his side.”

He took a break from his career last year because of his son Antwan. “My focus shifted more to family and to raising my son right. Family comes first. I never had that father figure around, so I decided I wanted to be that dad that I never had. My biggest achievement is my son, Antwan, one of the biggest gifts I have ever received in life. I love him a lot.”
      
For 2013, though, he had promised himself he was going to press on with his career prospects with full force. “I have been singing a while, but now I am concentrating on Renne Chester, the person. Now, I don’t want to walk down the street and hear people say, ‘That’s the guy from the jingle’; I want to hear, ‘That’s Renne Chester!’ I want to basically identify myself as, ‘Hey, I am here! And I am ready to represent Guyana on an international level!’ So, 2013 is all about re-creating my image even more.”

In the near future, Renne says, he “definitely” sees himself being even more involved in the music industry, representing Guyana globally. “My mom raised me with that go-getter spirit, and so everything that I put my mind to I achieve.”

Explaining his feelings towards music, he said: “Music is my love. I cannot live without singing. If music is taken away from me, I would feel devastated. This is the way I find peace. I am so thankful to GT&T for creating the platform for persons like myself, whom others never knew existed.”

Educate yourself

Renne has been a student of the University of Guyana, and plans on doing his Masters in Business Management next February. So he finds it fitting to advise young artistes: “Educate yourselves! It’s not just about music; it’s about educating yourself, because you are going to be signing contracts, meeting people on an international level, etc.

“To be that full package, you have to have music that will blow people away, and (you have to) be educated; so when you sit to write, you will write something that is inspirational.”

Renne said if there is more support from corporate Guyana, a lot more local artistes would be identified. “I have seen Caribbean artistes celebrated in their country. There is a lot of appreciation for them. But it’s the opposite here. Persons don’t support their local artistes by buying their albums and so, and we need more to be done in Guyana.”

Renne launched his “Playing You” video yesterday (July 13) on his television show. It is, according to him, a video with concepts that are relatable. The scenes were shot right here in beautiful Guyana.