Musicians - Rupee

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	Musicians - Rupee

"Rupee", born Rupert Clarke, is one of many talented artistes from Barbados. The "Romeo of soca" was born on military barracks in Germany to a German mother and a Barbadian father, who was serving in the British armed forces at the time.

Spending his first years in England, he was exposed to a genuine contrast of sounds which reflected his parents' diverse backgrounds: calypso and reggae on the side of his West Indian father, pop and rock 'n' roll from his European mother. He and his siblings would often perform on stage, coming up with all sorts of unique chants, rhymes and antics to tease the audience. After countless trips to the land of his roots, Rupee eventually moved to Barbados around the age of 9. He got his first major break after winning a local teen talent competition back when he was a schoolboy at Harrison College, the country's most prestigious grammar school. This came as a major surprise to him, as he was coerced by friends to just "try a ting" by entering the competition.

Rupee emerged on the local soca scene after being invited to join the then popular Barbadian band, Coalishun, along with singers like TC and Adrian Clarke in 1997. Though initially more Dancehall oriented, Rupee would find himself settling into the Ragga-Soca genre, a genre indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago. This was marked by the release of his first smash single "Ice Cream", which set him on a new journey...a journey from which he is yet to return. The tune blew up the Caribbean charts and put him in the spotlight. He had found his musical comfort zone and started composing in earnest.

“Ice Cream” was followed by a string of smashes from three self-released solo albums. The scorching up-tempo song “Jump,” from his first album, won Rupee repeated Road March titles at carnivals in Barbados, New York, Miami, Boston, and Toronto. “Tempted to Touch,” from his second album, enjoyed over two years of international club play, spreading to urban and pop radio in Toronto and Miami. It became the catalyst for Rupee’s worldwide deal with Atlantic – as well as the first single from his newly released "1 On 1."

Before deciding to pursue music full-time, Rupee explored other aspects of his creative nature. After successfully completing an Associate Degree in Graphic Arts from the Barbados Community College, he remained in that field for some time, working with two major Public Relations/Advertising agencies in Barbados. “I really needed to make a decision about working in advertising or music. So in 2000, I became a solo artist.” Rupee has kept all of his creative sides busy by playing an active role in the design of his web site, www.thisisrupee.com, and the visual marketing of his self-released projects.

Apart from dominating charts across the globe, it has also gone "Gold" in Japan and in most of Europe. Furthermore, "Do The Damn Thing" (DTDT), a bonus track from his latest album, "1 On 1", recently featured in an episode of the popular American TV series Desperate Housewives.

Over the years Rupee has amassed a number of Party Monarch and Road March titles not only in Barbados but also at West Indian Carnivals in the United States and Canada. His most popular hits have included "Ice Cream", "Jump" and the internationally released, "Tempted to Touch".

Even after going solo, Rupee's talent and charm have wooed not only Barbadians but also many people over the world. He has performed the world over to 'sold out' concerts in New York City, Paris, Australia and Tokyo among countless others. Initially acclaimed in the competitive and fertile culture of the yearly Caribbean carnivals, Rupee has gone on to win over masses of jubilant fans through his high-energy performances at festivals and concerts throughout North America and Europe. Supported by his vibrant Caribbean-based "Dot Com" band, he is a charismatic and inspiring live performer.

Even with his international fame, Rupee, ever humble, never misses an opportunity to "big up" the country he considers his home and is a regular at Barbados' premier festival, the Crop Over Festival.

“I try to have as much fun as possible,” says Rupee, “but I always also inject positivity. There are sensual moments, but it’s never overdone. I try to be responsible and create a vibe that’s about love and upliftment. While I tell the audience to jump and wave and get all crazy, we also have to give thanks, and acknowledge the Almighty.”

In 2005 Rupee and another prominent Barbadian singer, Alison Hinds, held a concert at "Tim's on de highway", where he sang all of his hits from past years.

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