Tami Chynn – Dancehall’s Princess of Pop
by M. Peggy Quattro
Kingston, JA – Tammar Anika Chin, now known as singer Tami Chynn, was born June 14, 1983 in Kingston, Jamaica, to a multi-talented, musical family. Her parents, Richard and Christine Chin, were in a band called The Carnations and Tami grew up with the sounds of R&B and Jazz. Her mother, the daughter of a white British woman and a black Jamaican man, is a singer and one of Jamaicas first female trumpet players; her father, whos Chinese and a bit of American Cherokee, plays bass guitar and drums. This unique mixture of Black, Chinese, White, and African-American-Indian has resulted in a cultured young woman, acutely aware of musics universal power.
Growing up in the parish of St. Andrew, Tami attended St. Peter and Paul prep school, later attending Campion College. Tami recorded her first single at age 17, and was signed to a major label at 24. Along Tami’s career climb, she has appeared on recordings with international Reggae stars Sean Paul, Beenie Man and Lady Saw. In addition, she has collaborated with Assassin and appeared in Wayne Marshalls video Why. Prior to pursuing singing professionally, she toured with Shaggy as a backup dancer. Continue reading