Exclusive Interview with Emmanuel carlos st.omer

Emmanuel Carlos St. Omer, a St. Lucian by birth, has worked as a professional radio jingle composer, singer-songwriter, and instrumental music producer. He enjoys the creative process of fusing moving lyrics with alluring melodies.

Following the death of his 18-year-old son Brandon in a car accident in 2018, Emmanuel poured all of his emotions and inspiration into his songwriting. As a result, he has since released 10 solo albums, which are as follows: 2 Christian: “Testimony” and “Stronger Than a Storm”; Some of his songs have also appeared on 14 compilation albums, all of which are available on leading global streaming and sales platforms. These albums include three instrumentals (Season of Instrumental Bliss Volumes 1, 2, and 3), two reggae albums (Radical Son – Back to Roots” and “Radical Reggae Collection”), three mix genre albums (Brandon’s Songbook” and “Indelible Parts 1 and 2), and three instrumental albums. Check out the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

Emmanuel carlos st.omer: I’m from Saint Lucian, one of the paradise isles of the Caribbean, especially from the view of a tourist’s eyes. I grew up listening to the best music this world has to offer. I knew from a very early age that music was my calling because I was intrigued by the mood it put me in.

2. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

Emmanuel carlos st.omer: From a melodic and rhythmic perspective, for me a song can start in many ways. A beat, a guitar riff, a chord progression, by listening to other songs, and so on. That’s the easier part. The idea of what the song will be about is another thing all together. Experience is key in coming up with new ideas, because the lyrics flow more freely for me that way. More importantly is staying as unique as possible throughout the process. In other words, trying not to sound like a copycat. True, the words have all been said before and the notes have all been played before, but not by me. I’m different. Next up, I collaborate with other musicians to make my sound as authentic as possible.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘Emmanuel carlos st.omer?

Emmanuel carlos st.omer: My first musical influences came from listening to such artists like the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and others of that era. Later on, I got into Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Dan Fogelberg and so on, because they had a way with words, storytelling and rhyming. However, my strongest musical influences came from my next-door neighbor, Jamaica. I resonated more naturally with the songs of Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh and Bob Marley. The Caribbean islands being quite similar in structure, society and culture, made the songs of these artists very relatable. As for my name, I was christened Emmanuel since I was born on Christmas Day. Carlos was given to me by my godfather who is Mexican and St.Omer is French, handed down from times of French colonization.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

Emmanuel carlos st.omer: The realism in my lyrics is one of the key elements that should resonate with listeners. I write from my life experiences most of the time. “Another name in Heaven’s Journal” came to me right after I received the news that a close friend was gunned down in a drive by shooting. “Good Woman” is the true description of my wife and how good she is to me. I know there are other men out there who feel the same way about their women to. “This Picture” touches on the sensitive issue of losing family members and cherishing memories of them through photographs, which is how I felt after losing my 18-year-old son Brandon 5 years ago in a car accident, and then watching him smile in pictures in better days. Musically, I like to take my chord progressions to places where my melodies sit pretty over them and directly make listeners feel nice too. My sound is like a melting pot of sweet sounds, mixed with heartfelt lyrics, garnished with love.

5. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

Emmanuel carlos st.omer:

I’ve put in an unbelievable amount of time, sweat and tears into my music and while it has not generated anywhere close to the personal and financial investment I’ve made, I am so fulfilled having produced as much as I have over the last 5 years. After Brandon died in 2018, I just needed to release all the inspiration and emotions I was feeling, and music was my avenue. Through the course of producing 10 albums in multiple genres, I’m most gratified. I pray that the future will bring me more exposure and success in music.

6. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

Emmanuel carlos st.omer:

I had to learn the hard way. There were no music schools on the island in my younger days and even then, when I asked for lessons from the accomplished musicians I knew, they didn’t have the time. I taught myself to play the keyboards by going to the beach every day, sitting under the shade of almond trees to practice scales, chords and inversions. I taught myself to write lyrics by first getting them wrong many times until I finally got them right.

7. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as Reggae/Pop?

Emmanuel carlos st.omer: I remember when I set up my first very modest home studio. I didn’t have the skill to write complete songs worth playing for anyone but myself at that time, so I composed 30 second radio ads & jingles in multiple genres and made quick money doing so. I could get away with sounding good through miniature songs, emulating just about any artist I wanted. I went on to produce instrumental themes for the local TV stations. I produced local singers and bands as well. All that time I was developing myself as a singer, songwriter and producer, which is what I am today. Radical Son – Back to Roots for me is a dream come true of making a reggae/pop album. Let’s just say my style is a little of this and a little of that, once it comes out sounding good in the end.

8. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

Emmanuel carlos st.omer: Thanks to the wider reach of music, it’s possible to make powerful political, cultural, spiritual and social statements to the near and far corners of the world. Statements which could otherwise go unnoticed. Radical Son – Back to Roots is all about making powerful statements. “It’s still a wonderful world” is about peace, equality and unselfish love. In it, I make reference to icons such as Dr. Martin Luther King and John Lennon. “Iron sharpens iron” is about raising each other up instead of destroying one another. “Dance Anyway” is about hate, racism and bullying. “Dark side of the Moon” is about showing respect and generosity to others. “Testimony”, the only Christian song on the album deals with divine intervention of God against the attacks of the devil.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

Emmanuel carlos st.omer: The loss of my 18 year old son Brandon in 2018. My heart was beyond shattered. My wife said to me, that I had to write a song to be played at his funeral, so I closed myself in his bedroom and wrote “One Wish”. To this day, no one in my family can listen to this song ever again.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

Emmanuel carlos st.omer: Being here 5 years later and having a treasure chest, full of original music to prove that life does indeed continue, despite the worst things that can happen.