Born in 1980 as Michael Williams, the youngest of six children in a humble, church-going family from Carenage, Trinidad, JAMELODY got his start as so many greats have before him, by honing his chops singing in church choir. As everyone knows, Trinidad/Tobago is birthplace to soca/calypso—the music that motors the twin islands’ Carnival, the most spectacular party on earth. Yet young Michael wasn’t feeling his native sounds. As a young teen, he and a few friends formed acapella group Brothers with Voices. Michael took the leads and arranged their covers of R&B favorites like Boys II Men, Take 6, Brian McKnight, and older groups like the Temptations.
