Carl Henry`s Official Website

Carl Henry
- BiographyCarl Henry puts the riddim in rhythm and blues. Born in Jamaica
and raised in Montreal, the island crooner blends the rumble of
dancehall reggae with the smooth stylings of R&B and soul. He
grew up singing in a church choir; years of vocal training have
shaped a voice that slinks, shudders and soars.
Henry, 27, has toured all over North America and Europe, supporting U.S. stars like Mary J.
Blige, De La Soul and Ashanti. Home in Canada, he earned Juno Award nominations in each of
the last three years. RNB, his full-length debut, was recognized for Best R&B/Soul Recording
in 2003; singles Homie’s Girl and Bare As She Dare (featuring Ce’Cile) were nominated for
Best Reggae Recording in 2004 and 2005.
RNB delivered passionate, late-night murmurs with songs like One Night Stand, Sex U and Did
U Really. The album’s title was literal: RNB is straight-up R&B from beginning to finish. (Same
goes for Solution RNB, its French-language version.) Henry is proud of his first effort, but says
it reflected only a narrow band of his full range.
Now, though, Carl combines his myriad influences — R&B, dancehall, pop, soul, gospel, etc. —
on his sophomore album, I Wish (CeSoul Music, distribution by DEP/Universal). “The new
record is who I really am, as an artist and a person,” he says. The moment is ripe, given
reggae’s increasing influence on urban music. “This is a great time for me, because reggaeton
and dancehall are really stepping to the forefront,” he says. “People are willing to give it a
chance, wanting to give it an ear. I’m glad that I’m able to make music that reflects that.”
CeSoul CEO Cecil Collins helped Henry gather a crack team of collaborators to create I Wish.
Carl co-wrote several songs with Teron Beal, hit composer for Whitney Houston, Michael
Jackson, Luther Vandross and Deborah Cox. “[Working with Teron] was initially somewhat
intimidating. I went in thinking that I would be quiet, that he would dictate what I would sing
— but we clicked right away,” Henry says. “He listened to my ideas, I listened to his, we
played off each other. We were initially supposed to do one song together, but wound up
doing five.”
Joseph Stonestreet, formerly of Blackstreet, was another key contributor; he co-wrote and coproduced significant portions of I Wish. “Joe is like my musical father,” Henry says. “To have
somebody who has mastered music to the level that he has — I’m constantly learning so
much from him, as a writer and a vocalist.”
Carl says he especially enjoyed working with Bizzo, an up-and-coming Philadelphia producer
who is steeped in hip-hop vibes. “We did a ton of songs together,” Henry says. “Hopefully this
is one of those career things, where we’re still working together three or four albums down
the line.”
For I Wish’s coup de grâce, hip-hop industry veteran J Rome connected Carl with JR Writer,
ace rhyme slayer from New York’s Diplomats crew, for a jumped-up remix of Bizzo’s Perfect.
The result, a hot mash of rap, reggae and R&B, which has already caused serious damage on
the dance floor. “Perfect” was the set up track for I Wish’s title track, produced by the Red
One (Christina Milian, A-Teens), that is presently burning up your radio.
Carl Henry To Release New Album
on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 12:41 PM
Montreal native and three time consecutive Juno Award nominee, Carl
Henry is back once again with the release of a new Album titled "I
Wish" which will be released November the 1st on indie record label
CeSoul Music. This 16 tracks set which mixes dancehall, reggae and
urban rhythms with pop inclinations will showcase the artist's musical
versatility.
“I wish” includes previous hits like "Homie's Girl", "Bare As She Dare" and "Hot Gal" as
well as new material such as the current single "I Wish" which has hit the chart last week.
The Guests on the LP includes Elephant Man, CeCile and JR Writer while on the
production side credits are given to Red One (Christian Milian, A-Teens), Mr. Doo
(Shaggy), Leftside & Esco (Sean Paul), and Bizzo (Mary J Blige).
"I Wish" the album, includes a special bonus DVD "A Closer Look At Carl Henry", that
includes videos, live performances, interviews and more. This is an indepth retrospective
of a truly emerging Canadian star.
- The SoulJoint Staff
Carl Henry
I Wish
I wish we could be all as one
I wrote this song from my heart for everyone
Sometimes I wish there wasn’t a space
Between the things people do and the things they say
I wish every child was able to see
All the opportunities that flow right by you and me
Don’t ya’ll wish you could love someone
And make it clear without fear they’ll betray your trust?
(Chorus)
I wish we could be together
I wanna be with you
May take time
But we can be together
I wanna be with you
Even if you gotta lie
Just say you’d leave me never
I wanna be with you
Oh I wish we could be together
I wanna be with you
I wish we could be all as one
Take two different melodies and make them one song
Sometimes I wish y’all could see
Oh me for who I really am
Just le me be
Ya’ll know that love is special and love is kind
It can take one man change his heart and mind
And with that said
I wish is was so that we could plant the seeds of love and watch it grow
(Chorus)
I can’t believe this
My wish has got me goin’ out my mind
What do I have to do?
‘Cause girl, I wanna be with you.
(Chorus)
Music
Hot Gal
by
Carl Henry
featuring Rally Bop
New single from the Guala Guala Riddim
Produced by Reggae Vibes Productions Inc
Released by CeSoul Music
Check out the video that is making a killing in Jamaica @
www.cesoul.com
Carl Henry Album release in 2005
Guala Guala Riddim Album scheduled for release worldwide in 2005,
featuring
Vybz Kartel, Sizzla, Tanto Metro and Devonte, Tanya Stephens, Lady
Saw, Wayne Marshall, Ward 21, Anthony B. and lots more…
CeSoul Music
+ 33 (0)6 77 91 80 49 - (514) 939-9824 – (212) 721-5042
www.cesoul.com – steph@cesoul.com
BARE AS SHE DARE
Artist: Carl Henry feat. Ce’Cile
Ce’Cile:
Step in ah the club
Carl a show me love
And a tell me say
Shake that thing
Coolie dance a touch down
Wine go to the ground
Bouncing all around
Ride the rhythm
Shake up the bumper
Bad girl with it
Little but after a while
You can see
Say we well superfly
And pull our style
And love the dancehall, can’t do without it
Carl Henry:
Gyal you know say your body’s hot
Me want know if me can have some of that
Coo pan your lips, they hot like fire
Ah you gyal waistline ah wire
Hit the floor and wine and skin out
Make all the rude boys them chat bout
The way you bad you make me want shout
Make the bubble , clap clap
Chorus:
Bare as she dare
Dey pan the scene
Shaking the nana for me
Me love to see how this ya yard girl
So brave
Make we want misbehave
{Queen of dancehall party}
{Makes you rock your body}
Ce’Cile:
Buss it up, buss it up
Stacy, Junkoo, Keeba show them how we
tough
Fling it up, ice it up
Make them man they well want test we
Know them back them will broke
Can’t cool yow we hot
Yo man them a say we phat
Can’t wait fee get them we inna sap
Just pull up from your sack
Carl Henry:
Gyal love to see how your waistline a turn
Think say me bad, but the gyal pop me down
When she a work it work it
A smile and a work it, work it
Pan de river she a work it
Make me want more when she a work it
Chorus
Carl Henry – Homie’s Girl
She’s about 5’9, a buck thirty
She likes to smile like she’s flirty flirty,
She’s on my mind when I’m feeling lonely
Too bad she’s rolling with my homie
When we’re alone she likes to fool around and tease me
Telling me how she can please me
You got me burning just like fire
Could this thing get any hotter?
It was a crazy situation she saw me and I saw her
But that’s my homie’s girl and I know that it’s wrong
We looked we touched we kissed
Oh no, oh what is this
I know that that’s my dogg, my homie, we be crew but
Chorus:
I looked at her and I knew it was wrong
She looked at me we both knew it was wrong
But then the riddim started to flow
And now we’re creeping on the low
When she’s not with him she’s here with me
I know it’s wrong cuz he’s my homie
Gave me the nod then slipped me the key
She’s my homie’s girl
(That’ the way… she likes it)
It’s getting late it’s about twelve thirty
She calls me up, says she’s feeling lonely
That I should swing by and I should hurry
But when I get there it’s another story
She greets me at the door looking all sexy
Touching me like she wanna do me
I gave it to her and the loving was strong
But I knew it was wrong
She was my homie’s girl
It was a crazy situation she saw me and I saw her
But that’s my homie’s girl and I know that it’s wrong
We looked we touched we kissed
Oh no, oh what is this
I know that that’s my dog, my homie, we be crew but
Chorus
(She was) lying, deceiving, creeping, cheating
Said we’d keep it tight while we was freaking
She was acting all kinda shady
All this time she was still your lady
I must confess to you, my only homie
I laid the pipe when your girl was feeling lonely
Some of these girls trick around and starve for check
Sometimes they hit and run and cause a car wreck
February 11th 2004
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CARL HENRY RECEIVES 2004 JUNO NOMINATION
CeSoul Music recording artist Carl Henry has been nominated for a
Juno Award for the second year in succession. The versatile Montreal
crooner who received a nomination in 2003 for his full-length debut
RNB (Best R&B/Soul Recording) copped a nomination in the 2004
Best Reggae Recording category for his single Homie’s Girl.
Nominees for the 2004 Junos (which is being held in Edmonton) in
early April were announced today at the Liberty Grand in Toronto.
This latest honor for Carl Henry follows on the heels of his recent
nomination for an Indie (Favorite Urban Artist / Group).
The single of Homie’s Girl hits retail store shelves this week on
CeSoul Music and is being distributed nationally by DEP.
www.cesoul.com
January 22nd 2004
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CARL HENRY EARNS CANADIAN INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS
NOMINATION
CeSoul Music recording artist Carl Henry has been nominated for a
Canadian Independent Music Award (The Indies) in the category
of Favourite Urban Artist / Group the event now in its fourth year,
will be held at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto on
Wednesday, March 3rd 2004 and is the official launch of Canadian
Music Week (CMW) festivities.
The 2003 Juno Awards nominee and UMAC Awards winner, is
presently enjoying growing recognition at radio with two hot singles
“Homie’s Girl” and “Being With You” and is primed to make 2004
his breakout year.
Fans can vote for their favorite independent recording artist at:
www.cmw.net
from January 26th to February 15th 2004.
www.cesoul.com
Music
2003
Juno Awards Nominees
R&B/Soul Recording of the Year
You Changed
Get Ready
RNB
The Way I feel
World Outside
Jully Black
Shawn Desman
Carl Henry
Remy Shand
Glenn Lewis
Peace Magazine # 63 (HeadSpace):
"Another hot R&B talent that the money's watching has
gotta be Carl Henry whose RNB debut has already pulled out
one substantial radio and video hit with "One Night Stand".
Going south of the border for most of the production work,
Carl is definitely making moves with all the catches and
hooks you've come to know, love, or hate from today's
smooth young crooners.
Carl Henry RNB (CeSoul/CMC)
Carl Henry Solution RNB (CeSoul/CMC)
It’s a good time to be a Canadian R&B artist. With fellow Canucks Glen Lewis, Remy Shand,
and Jarvis Church leading the charge, now it’s time for Montreal’s own Carl Henry to make his
much overdue national debut. Not content to simply play catch-up, Henry’s giving up the flavour
in both official languages with the release of two albums simultaneously. Mother tongue aside,
both sets are slickly-produced pop-soul albums, steeped in the most contemporary styles this
side of the border. Case in point, Henry’s collaboration with rapper JR (“One Night Stand” on
the English set, “Sans Lendemain” on the French set), a hip hop flavoured R&B track which
should keep both club heads and radio fans in check. “J’ai besoin de toi,” a bilingual track that
appears on both sets, is the best case for Henry’s vocal dexterity in either language. Now if he
would just master Spanish, he could rule the world. Both 8/10 (Gerard Dee)
Mac Master’s Student Newspaper
Volume 23, Issue 22
Carl Henry
Wes Armstrong
Music Editor
It was good to sit and chat with Montreal's own Carl Henry. His voice invades the phone receiver with a really smooth, calculated tone. When I use the
word calculated I don't want to give the impression that Henry puts a lot of thought into how he talks. Maybe calculated is the wrong word. I also don't
want to give the impression that he doesn't think about his words, because he had a lot of educated things to say. Something about his delivery is
indescribable and composed. Maybe those are the words I should have used rather than calculated? In my interview with the Juno nominated R & B
singer we covered a lot of bases: everything from how he got into the music business, to school, to what he likes to eat on the road. So sit back,
unwind, put on an Al Green or Barry White record and continue reading.
At the time of our conversation, Carl Henry had just ordered some food at a fine Italian restaurant called Tony Roma's in London, Ontario. He was
sitting and eating with his crew before his sound check at the Embassy Hotel. London is the first stop on his six-show tour with the Rascalz. On this
tour, Henry and the Rascalz will be performing at Mohawk College on Thursday, March 6. You would be wise to go and check it out.
Back to the topic of food, this past year, I have become somewhat of a fat bastard. So I thought I would talk to the R & B singer about food. I asked
Henry what he usually eats before a show: "I just try to eat healthy." He went on to explain that he always tries to eat healthy and only avoids meals
with a whole lot of dairy products in them. Healthy stuff? Give me a steak and a bacon cheeseburger and then we're talking. Oh well, I'm not hungry
anymore.
A very interesting quality I did not know about Carl Henry is that he gives lectures at high schools about Black History Month. In February, Henry toured
Toronto area high schools and both spoke about Black History Month and performed a set. He began this tour two or threes years ago, and this year
he spoke and performed at eight schools in the Toronto area. Although Henry does not have a degree in History, he has taken an avid interest in
discovering many historical black figures, because he believes they play as large a role in our history as anyone else does. "Black history is for
everyone," says the confessed History Channel watching Henry. "We need to bring to light that aspect of our history."
As a child growing up in Montreal, Carl Henry was exposed to a lot of gospel music. However, in time he discovered many other performers that he
began to admire. "The first record I bought was Stevie Wonder... He opened up a whole new door for me." Growing up with gospel in the home, Henry
got used to records by The Winans and The Clark Sisters. When he discovered secular music, he really took a liking to Marvin Gaye and others. "No
matter what style of music, a good song is a good song," says Henry, who admittedly is not a huge fan of "trash metal." However, he did tell me that he
finds something interesting in every style of music.
Recently, Henry was nominated for a Juno for his latest album entitled RNB. Even though I normally do not listen to records that sound like his, the
production and quality is incredible and the sounds of the songs perfectly invade the airspace between you and your stereo. If you need to set the
mood for a night that already included dinner, let your speakers throw his sounds back at you and enjoy an evening on the couch with your special guy
or gal. Henry is very excited about his nomination, and says, "I'm really grateful. I do this because I love to do this."
The road to success is not easy and the hit and miss / here today gone tomorrow attitude of the music industry often times sinks the attitude of
performers before they enjoy swimming in any sort of success. "It restores your confidence," says Henry calmly, and I imagine him smiling proudly at
his achievement.
I wondered at what point Carl Henry knew he would try for a career in music, and Henry explained this to me. He was attending Vanier College in
Montreal. In high school, several of his friends had often encouraged him to pursue music as they believed in his ability and thought he had nothing to
lose in pursuing it. He continued to work on his music and when the opportunity presented itself, he jumped at it. Although, he still would like to finish up
his studies at Vanier College one day, he is currently really happy with where his music is going. On this same note, I asked Henry what he thought he
would do if he hadn't jumped at the opportunity. "As time progressed, I'd probably end up doing this anyway. The urge just gets stronger and stronger."
I wonder if Carl Henry could have predicted topping the charts on a BBC radio countdown, charting on Billboard and opening for acts such as Mary J.
Blige and De la Soul.
I would strongly suggest going to see Carl Henry and the Rascalz this Thursday, March 6 at Mohawk College. It promises to be a show lovers of hip
hop and soul music will not want to miss.