Jadee
Birth name: Jerry Dane Sellier
Birth Place and Date: Marabella San Fernando, Trinidad W.I.,
October 23rd 1976.
ONCE WAS LOST
It is a significant occasion when a musical artist at the peak of his career denounces everything and turns to Christ.
At the age of fourteen Jadee’s song writing skills developed- mimicking rap artistes: like Ice Cube, Biggie, and Tupac; and he fell in love with Hip Hop Music. After following the dream of three years he landed a compilation deal with French based label Rituals records, he then decided to move on.
Being a Trinidadian and knowing Soca was in his blood he decided to try it. After three years of experimenting taking part in all major Soca and Calypso competition like the International Soca monarch, Young kings and the likes he was chosen by one of Trinidad’s biggest Soca band Horizon. After one year of gaining hard core soca experience with the band, he then moved on.
Jadee then landed a two year soca compilation deal with Link Up Records owned by Chinese Laundry, which is the most influential and established soca label in the Caribbean. Jadee’s first song with Link Up called Aye-Yo went to ..1 on the soca charts. Performing at every huge Carnival Party in the country for the 2000 Carnival season, he gained local celebrity success and got the attention of international Promoters and began extensive touring from there.
Places like Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, Jamaica, Montreal, Toronto, Queens, Brooklyn N.Y., Long Island, New Jersey and just about everywhere that had a Carnival, got the opportunity to witness Jadee’s dynamic performances.
Now along with all this touring came money, fame, alcohol and women. At the age of 23 drunk and sometimes high off weed, a leader of revelry that is what he thought was happiness. In the process of it all he ends up hurting his family and most of all his long term girlfriend Giselle Martinez, who has been with him from the very start of his career. At that point the love of his life had left him and rededicated her life to the Lord Jesus, while Jadee continued the next year 2001 Carnival of his contract. Even though the love of his life had despised him for his wrongs, she showed Christ like qualities by encouraging him to come out of that dead end lifestyle and turn to the Lord.
NOW IS FOUND
So with the help of Giselle (whom is now his wife) and his sister together with everyone who was praying for him, Jadee eventually slowly became convicted and began to read the Holy Bible. Even while performing through the 2001 Carnival season he found time to go to church. He gradually realized that he could not serve two masters at the same time.
Praise God, in the month of March 2001, Jadee surrendered his all and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
This man of God has not thrown away the gift God gave him, but he now uses it for the honor and glory of God. Jadee then penned an international recording and licensing deal with growing recording label Flowmasters in July 2001. Immediately he began to work on songs to give God glory, Jadee described his style as Gospel soca and said it is designed to testify, teach, praise and worship God.
He released six (6) Gospel singles which made it in the top 10 Gospel hits in the country. Jadee has been nominated in the Marlin Awards for three consecutive years 2002, 2003 and 2004, he took home his first Marlin Awards for song “God be for me” featured by Sherwin Gardner. Jadee then took the award for best Gospel artist of year for 2005 Soca Awards and was dubbed Best Male Gospel Artist of the Year 2005 by ‘The perfect 10 Gospel show i95.5 FM’. Jadee recently received a nomination for Best Male Gospel Artist from the Bigger Caribbean Music Awards to be held on the island of St. Croix.
Through the Gospel he has ministered throughout the Caribbean and North America and has graced the stage with an impressive list of Gospel artistes like: Papa San, Carlene Davis, Tommy Cowan, Prodigal Son, Nicole Mullet, Toby Mac, CeCe Winnans, Kirk Franklyn, Bishop T D Jakes, Bishop E McClendon, Sherwin Gardner, Nicole Balloshing, Vanessa Briggs, Gitta Dan, Monty G and many others.
Jadee has released his first debut album entitled Worship and War- the name speaks for itself. This album consists of Worship and Warfare Music which will effectively enter the presence of God and destroy the strongholds of Satan. It is said to be the most anticipated album of the year. The first single of the album “I Exalt Thee” has already shot to …2 on the popular Isaac 98.1FM Gospel count down in Trinidad and Tobago. Other radio hits from this album are song like: “He Reigns”, “Bun dem Fire”, “Come out ah dat”, “Come to me”, and “Strong holds”. This (16) sixteen track documentary varies in style and moods, from soca, reggae, R&B, to worship and warfare; every track takes you closer to God.
In 2006, Jadee released a single called “Baptize” from his upcoming album entitled Altar Call . The track was produced by Edgehil Thomas aka Maximus Dan, and Sherwin Gardner, with whom Jadee has collaborated over the past few years. About the song, in which he calls the names of many popular soca artistes, Jadee says: It is just a Prayer I’m praying for all my friends in the Music industry, it is not to condemn any body, but to show that God is Love because he sent his Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, Every body should be baptized in Jesus Name I just used these artistes (names) because that’s where I came from and I have a lot of love for them. “Baptize” has gained heavy rotation on all radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago and is #1 on the UB 1 Gospel charts in London.
- Have you seen: Caribbean people-where are your ideas???