TC working for his big break in the music biz

Jamaica is clearly a nation that is blessed with an abundance of musical talent. All over the island there is a plethora of artists seeking a break in the highly competitive music biz. While many of them choose to try their luck by entering talent competitions, some chose to seek out a producer or a manager who can open the doors to the industry. However not all upcoming acts choose exercise such options, some believe in themselves so much that they are willing to work and finance their own careers.

One such artist is TC aka Carnegie Thompson, who hails from the town of Little London in Westmoreland. TC says that as a child he was always drawn to music, he loved it so much that he decided that he wanted to become a drummer. “When I was a little boy I wanted to be drummer, so I spent a lot of time beating pots and pans at home. I also wrote a lot of songs too, I was always making a lot of noise at home beating the pots and pans and singing,” TC reminisced.

TC says that after leaving school, faced with the harsh realities of life his dreams of becoming a musician had to be put on hold. “After leaving school I had to take life more seriously because I was coming from a very humble background. I had to find a job almost immediately so I could help my family. For a long while I just had to work and concentrate on making a living, but I never forgot my childhood dreams.

Determined to pursue his dreams of becoming a musician TC eventually landed a job in Negril and soon after moved to live in the tourist resort town, which is also famous for its thriving live music scene. Being in Negril afforded him the opportunity to get even more involved with music. TC spent most of his spare time hanging out with various musicians he had met, he also tried a much as possible to learn to play the drums.

Eventually he began to write a lot of songs, which led to his decision to become a singer. In his quest to find a producer he was introduced by a friend to Negril based publicist/producer Ralston Barrett. After listening to him Barrett told him he had a lot of potential and encouraged him to get vocal training. Thankful for the advice that he had received, he found a good vocal coach and went to work almost immediately.

After several months of vocal training TC has been busy in the studios recording several songs. He is currently busy promoting his first single which titled Oh Mama which is a tribute to his mom. The song which is on the Wild Geese label is already receiving good rotation on IRIE FM and western based radio stations such as LINKZ FM and VYBZ FM.

TC says that this is just the beginning of great things to come. He also stated that has been getting a lot of encouragement from his friends and colleagues who have heard Oh Mama. “I have a lot of good songs and as time progresses I will be recording even better tunes. All I need is more exposure and I will get my break soon, a lot people tell me Oh Mama sounds very good,” said the artist.