We are aware that you write your songs.  Who are you recording with or who is producing your songs?

I record my songs with an engineer here in Nassau but the mixing is done by the producer of the riddim. 

Are you from a musical family? How did you get into music?

I have two older brothers and one is heavy into Hip Hop.  He is a Hip Hop artist as well.  Being around his music and other music like R & B, Reggae when we were younger.

Interesting!

 But nobody sings in the family and for a long time I did not feel confident enough to go out there and sing.

The way your music come across, you sound like a poet.  Do you find that you write poems and then they turn into songs?

I used to write poetry when I was younger, it probably come from there. When I write my songs, I have so much to say.  You cannot put all of that in one song so I make statements.  I sum it up in one statement, maybe in five words instead of ten words.

What is your best inspiration in terms of writing music?

With my songs I find that I write through trial and tribulations.  It is a process, when you go through something.  You may have lost your job or anything.  It may not be something that happened in my life but something I may have observe.

Let’s switch pace a little, are you originally from the Bahamas?

I was born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas.  My mother is Bahamian and my father is from Germany.  I went to school and lived in Germany for nine years.

Ok, so your father resides in the Bahamas?

Yes, for thirty some years.  This is his home.

What is the Reggae scene like in Germany?

It is quite different.  I am glad I got the experience to see Reggae in Europe and the Caribbean.  In Germany there is a different respect for music.  Any kind of music you put out there, the German people respect you because they know what it takes. They don’t buy bootleg CD’s.  They take their paycheck to the CD center and come out with original CD’s.  They love Reggae because the foundation is Love.

You mentioned piracy, one of the things we do is protect music on our website. Do you have your music anywhere for sale?

Tracks are on Media Zone for Free.  I will also send out music to Dj’s and others to push it.   It is really free right now.

We going to change that [Laughs]

It’s ok for right now but I would like to change that at some point.

Let’s talk about Bahamas culture.

That is a touchy topic! [Laughs]

Describe Bahamas culture?

I thought you were talking about culture music in Bahamas. 

That is fine,music is a part of culture.

We do not really have a culture music industry.  There is more Dancehall and Soca music.  We have Jahnkanoo.  It is a Carnival we have here.  We lack some things but I will leave that alone.  We need some improvement, I will try to fix that with my little voice.

You mentioned your voice, you do not sound like anyone else.  When did you first discover that you could sing?

From when I was small, I really got into the culture scene about four or five years now.  I always had the wrong information thinking I had to sound like somebody.  I thought my voice was odd at one point.  When I realize that this is my sound, then it was good.

What was the first song you recorded?

“Peace with inner peace” in the Bahamas back in 2005.   They played it on the radio, surprising!  Because like I said culture is not as dominant as Dancehall and Soca.  It also got some play on Las Vegas radio station.  I got the confidence and started doing more music.

Are things going the way you expected it to go?

It was greater than I thought because when I first joined myspace I wanted a 100 people to listen.  When I last check I was at 81,000 profile views.  To me I have exceeded the goal I have set.  I know maybe 50 out of that 81,000 really got the message.

What is your vision for the next ten years?

I live day by day.  I strongly believe in Jah and let him lead the way.  Right now things are nice and I will stay on that path.  I would like to do tours and perform for a very long time.

Have you performed before?

That is a panic button right there. [Laughs]  The first time was in the Bahamas.  I think it is the same way in Jamaica.  If you can please a Bahamian crowd, you are good to go.  I let that pressure me on my first performance.  Everything that can go wrong went wrong.  I still continued to sing but everything went well in the end.

What may our DancehallSoca audience not know about Nicola that may surprise them?

I like to share and will write a blog on myspace to share. Many people also think that I am married with children and that is not the case. 

So, all the men who may want to know your status.  They should know she is single [Laughs]

No, no [Laughs] I am married to my music.  I also love to dance.  People say I look quiet but I love to dance.

What is your favorite music to listen to?

Jah Cure, Munga, a little bit of everything.

Is there anything else you want to say to the DancehallSoca audience?

Thanks to everyone for being so supportive.  It is a rough road and the business can be dirty.  You always know when someone is giving constructive criticism or they just hating.  You have to know the difference. www.myspace.com/NicolaLionfish