[Si] TV

With a hit single ("Emotional") being played all over Miami radio, Jean Carlos Casely is beginning to define himself as an artist. He attended the world famous Berkley College of Music and has opened for Ruben Studdard, Pitbull, and Trick Daddy, respectively. Fast forward to the present and Casely is now signed to Epic Records. His debut album, 1985, is being produced by the hitmaking Diaz Brothers. Si Entertainment sat with the half Panamanian to talk about growing up with two cultures and honing his skills as an R&B artist. 

Si Ent.: What were the sounds you grew up listening to, sharing time between West Indian and Latin households?
Casely: I definitely always had Calypso in the crib from my mom. On my father's side, you know always on Christmas and Thanksgiving and family get-togethers, you always had Latin music pumping loud and people dancing. I definitely had both vibes. My father and my mother liked R&B but they obviously listened to their cultures' music. So R&B I think is something I kind of found myself, just tuning into the radio and TV...that was my addiction.

Si Ent.: How do you feel being classically trained helped you start your recording career?
Casely: It helps a lot with discipline. It carries over into different aspects of your life. I want my music to come across as I'm a real musician. I went to Berkley College of Music and I just love music. Not even on a surface level, but all aspects of it, every part of it. It's like I live, breathe and eat it. I also did a lot of musical theatre growing up and that background helps me be emotionally committed to my records. 

Si Ent.: How did the deal with Epic Records come about?
Casely: Back in March or April of '07 I had a meeting and signed with the Diaz Brothers. They did Pitbull's project and they were kind of salty from the situation with TVT. So they were frustrated and they didn't want to do music for a little. Then they wanted to give it another shot and were on the hunt for a new artist and I was the artist they found. So we got in the studio and made a few records. I made "Emotional" and they took it to the mixshow DJs. They tested out the record on air and got good feedback. That good feedback got it to crazy spins, up to like 80 or 90 spins a week on Power 96 down in Miami. When that happens, the labels start knocking on your door.

Si Ent.: What is the overall inspiration for 1985?
Casely: To do something different. I try to look at things like I'm not gonna get another shot. So 1985 was like...I'm gonna make this album and it's going to be true to me. It's going to be honest and I'm not going to waste time and wait ‘til my third album to say, "This is who I am as an artist." No, I wanna [tell] people who I am right off the bat; that was the inspiration. I'm a ‘80s addict; I love ‘80s records because they were so catchy and had you singing along. I felt like I wanted to fuse my modern day music with that and through doing so I created my own name, my own sound.