Krystal Khaune Commands the Stage

When asked about her earliest memory, Krystal Khayne immediately recalled her late grandmother, who sadly passed away in 2009. “She’s the one who inspired me to sing,” Khayne said quietly. “She was essentially my mother too; she encouraged me in every aspect. When I was little she used to sing to me to get me to sleep, and she would change keys. I remember asking her what she did to change the key and she said ‘that’s what you call harmony’. She used to do it all the time. Now I can sing harmonies to anything. She started me singing in the junior church choir, on 12 and Under… I didn’t understand why at the time, all I know is that I’d learn any song she taught to me, and I would sing it.” Today, that little girl has matured into the sexy new frontline female vocalist for the band Imij & Company, consisting of fellow members Miguel Charles (bass player), Roger Campbell (drummer), Joey Ng Wai (guitarist, music coordinator, programmer, etc), Hilton Dalzell and Stephan Subero (vocalists). The band’s new song “Push” has been on the air for a while now and they are looking forward to accompany Carnival stalwarts Harts (and their presentation Wrath of the Gods) on the road for the Parade of the Bands on Carnival Monday and Tuesday. “I was made to understand that Imij & Company is one of the last few bands to continue that tradition, of accompanying masqueraders on the road,” Khayne enthused. “I’m really happy to do it too, because I used to love seeing Machel Montano on the music truck singing. But I know I can handle it, I’m like a little Energizer bunny!”

 

If we rewind to Khayne’s childhood, it was easy to see. From age four, she was always mimicking others and doing character voices. At St Francois Girls’ College, she would sing in the classroom and recalled “annoying” her friends with her constant crooning; even during regular conversations she would reply in song. “Sometimes they would just say ‘Shaddaaaaap!’” she laughed uproariously. “Now those same friends are supporting me and it feels great. St Francois on the whole was a wonderful school with the best teachers and I had lots of friends.” Straight out of school, she entered the workforce and got an internship at Scotiabank. Soon after, with thought of entering university on the brain, she was on a plane heading to meet her mother who resided in Whitby, Ontario and while there made periodic visits to her godmother in Toronto, who (at the time) was an agent at one of their leading universities in Toronto. But she wasn’t happy. “Though I spent two years abroad, I wanted to come home really badly,” Khayne confessed. “Music was on my brain and I said ‘Daddy, I’m going to do my music. I’m going to do it fully.’ Right afterward I came home and got a job at Sagicor, where I was in customer service first, and then became an accounts associate. While there, I was doing my thing. I joined up with Richard ‘Char Su’ Ahong, who I’ve known him since I was 16. Actually, I used to run away and go to Caribbean Sound Basin and my dad thought I was by a friend (laughs). I would just run into the studio and Carl ‘Beaver’ Henderson would let me sit in the studio to observe. Yeah, I was crazy like that…” Beaver took a liking to the enthusiastic singer, and let her observe artists like Machel Montano, Maximus Dan and H20 Phlo as they put down their tracks. Then one day Beaver asked her to ‘Come do some background vocals for someone’ who turned out to be Machel Montano. Since then, her voice has been her fortune, and steady jingle and vocal work came from Char Su. Soon after, she became involved in the project 2G (Second Generation), where along with Marie Carter and members of H20 Phlo they performed for the Michael Jackson Tribute at NAPA. “I’ve been with that band for a year. That was a really great experience. Fun times,” she smiled at the memory. “It was after that I started moonlighting with Imij & Company over the Christmas season, because at the time they needed a female vocalist.  My people, Char Su and Joey (Ng Wai) were already great friends, so everything was fine.”

 

Soon, the band asked Khayne if she wanted to try doing soca for the season. For the first time, the butterflies kicked in. Said Khayne, “I was like, ‘well, I never tried that before’ cuz I’m strictly pop and dance and R&B, the decision was kind of difficult as I was feeling rather intimidated. But I said okay.” According to Manager Sharon, when she watched her on stage, she couldn’t believe that she was doing this (singing soca) for just a short time. “She has it naturally,” Sharon said. “Now, I didn’t know Krystal at all, never met her, never seen her, not even a picture… I met her, then she went up to do the sound checks on stage at the Hyatt. No one there except the sound check people, myself, my boyfriend and it was like it was a live performance, like she was ready for the night. This girl went up there in her little leggings and oversized yellow t-shirt and she just took over the stage like she had a full crowd there. It was nice to see her and watch her. I was blown over, she was talking, encouraging, saying ‘Ay, come on people!’ I just looked at Joey and said, ‘Get her’.” Of course, Khayne admits to a few ‘teething problems’ especially when it came to her dancing back then “They actually laughed at my dancing at first, all the time,” Khayne admitted sheepishly. “I thought I was looking so cool, only to know they were laughing at me all the time. They called my dance the ‘white girl shuffle and smile’ So on stage I have to consciously make an effort to wine! Next time we had practice they ganged up on me and I got some good pong! I took it good though. I took it with a smile. I am not a ‘winer’. I literally have to think about the stage wining I have to do, because I dance, but I’m a lot better now. So when they say bubble and wine, I can do it (better). Actually one of the dancers showed me a couple moves I can do, so I’m glad for that.” All in all, this Belmont girl believes that she is in the right place in her life and appreciates all that she has been blessed with. She’s not one dimensional either, having also been blessed with a crazy sense of humour and loves a good lime and will head to the beach whenever she can, even if it’s to just pick up a bake and shark. “I just like natural, fun stuff. After we did a hash gig, I decided I will get into hashing; soon as I get the time, I will go on one. But music is always on my mind. I’m constantly creating.” She’s come a long way from singing into her hairbrush as a youngster, and is realising her dream as an entertainer. With the support of her mother and father, the self confessed Daddy’s Girl is in this for the long haul and sees herself with Imij & Company for as long as they will have her. She also has no regrets leaving the corporate world one bit, citing that it was one of the best things she ever did. “Things just started happening right after. It’s like the universe just waits for you to make your move and things just start aligning. I think that’s how God made this whole world up to be. The positivity you project… actually whatever you project comes right back to you and I’m a firm believer in positivity. If you want something, you have to put things in place to get it. If I want to sing, I have to pursue it full force and not have anything block my progress. I let the inspiration take over. Everything is inspiration. Everything.”