Shontelle Layne (Blue Banner Biographies)

Shontelle Layne s music career began in her closet, where she would sing to imaginary friends, until her mother told her she should sing in front of everyone. Growing up in Barbados, Shontelle was a straight-A student and top athlete who would sneak out to a recording studio in her spare time, following her passions for singing and songwriting. While studying to be a lawyer at the University of the West Indies, two songs Shontelle wrote became pop hits for local singers. Attracting the attention of the same producers who discovered one of her high school classmates, pop sensation Rihanna, Shontelle soon landed a contract with a major record label. Before she knew it, she had gone from top student to top 40 with her hit single T-Shirt and new album Shontelligence. Through her music, Shontelle shares the sounds of the Caribbean blended with pop and R&B, as well as her thoughtful messages about issues including poverty, women s rights, and people struggling to overcome prejudice and hatred.