Chéri Yielle is a Haitian-American singer and songwriter hailing from Long Island, New York. She’s impacted heavily by the melodic voices of Sade, Alicia Keys, and Lauryn Hill. Therefore, she boasts a dynamic, and contemporary PoP & R&B sound. Her music is recognized for the high rise-quality of her production, truthful lyrics, and soothing formula of reverb, harmony, and warm vocal performance.
This is highly recognized in the release of her single titled “Save My Soul”. In this song, Chéri Yielle vast range of influences alongside her detailed style fuses together to create the ultimate experience of poetic songwriting and poised delivery. The textured vocals helps deliver a lush emotional conviction that undeniably attracts the listener and takes them onto this atmospheric journey they won’t forget. I bet while listening to this heart-rendering single you’re bound to question the meaning behind the in-depth lyricism. In the beginning of 2018, following the loss of her beloved father to leukemia and the subsequent ill-health of her mother, Chéri Yielle released “Save My Soul”, which chronicles the emotional journey Chéri experiences in which she learns the ability of traversing the chaos and confusion of the world through the lens of grief and healing. This powerful message can serve as an exact reflection of many people's feelings and thoughts. This creates a strong connection between the listener and Chéri Yielle. With the chemistry between the music and our ears serving hand and hand with one another, you’re bound to become intertwined through an emotionally fulfilling roller coaster of constant ups and downs.
Listen to "Save My Soul" here and get to know more about Chéri Yielle below!
Welcome to BuzzMusic Chéri Yielle! We’re happy to have you here with us. Mind telling our readers a bit about your background and story?
I'm so happy to talk to you. My parents literally come from two different worlds - one from old-skool Brooklyn, and the other from older school Haiti. Then, for me to be living their dream being raised in the suburbs, which was different from both of the cultures they connected me to. All these different cultures exposed me to everything from Country classics like Johnny Cash to the soul of Curtis Mayfield, and then to the emo punk bands like MCR. I was learning piano and guitar in college at the time that he was sick, so I developed a lot both artistically and as a person over a pretty intense 4 years. The connection between pain, loss, love, and gratitude definitely comes from the impact of those experiences.
How would you describe your beautiful songwriting approach? Do you receive most of your inspirations from your personal life experiences?
Thank you! I'm inspired by abstraction, so whether I'm starting or ending with my own life experience, I never know where my thought or feeling on any one idea or concept will take me. There are no rules to follow, so I embrace that freedom. In my EP, there is a deeply personal story or combination of my real life experiences specifically for each song.
Were there any specific arrangements you were going for in “Save My Soul”?
Yes! It started off with just a guitar, and the way my message developed, I was inspired by those late 90's - early 00's emotional hip-ballads. The Dido records, The Fugees, Wyclef and Lauryn. It was important for me to connect with that part of me when creating the sound.
What was the most challenging aspect for you in creating “Save My Soul”? How did you overcome this challenge!?
The production became so challenging. The song was pretty much complete, but something in the percussion or the rhythm wasn't feeling right. We didn't know if it was the tempo, the type of drums used, etc. Eventually, one of my awesome producers, Joe Lindsay, brought in a sample that made everything complete. With Ashby mixing, the answer became a combination of the sample with multiple other drum layers that seamlessly went together. Shoutout to Steve, Derrick, and Lyd.
What’s next for you?
I'm looking forward to traveling, collaborating with other artists, and expressing the other layers and flavors of my sound - both live and in the studio. There's a lot more to my message, and I just want to inspire from my own truth. Let's just say there are always more stories to tell.
Connect with Chéri Yielle on social media
www.instagram.com/cheriyielle
ww.twitter.com/cheriyielle
www.facebook.com/cheriyielle