Livvi Franc is generating a buzz! Here’s a very informative article Starshine Magazine posted on their website about Livvi.

Livvi Franc, the 19-year old singer/songwriter who is perhaps best known (in Barbados) as the featured voice on J-Co’s hit track Pon Fire, is now preparing to launch an international singing and songwriting career. The deal, which is the first label direct deal signed by a Barbadian artist in recent times, is the culmination of 3 years of artist development, which all took place in Barbados.

The Livvi/Jive deal was officially inked on October 25, 2007 in New York, after months of negotiations with Jive. The deal effectively makes Livvi labelmates with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Pink, Chris Brown and Usher. The deal provides Livvi with access not only to a number of globally recognised artistes for potential collabs, but also further access to a slew of international industry insiders.

Livvi’s ‘worked with’ list is an impressive one, despite her still being in the embryonic stage of development of her career. In an exclusive interview with CiRCUIT magazine, her manager of three years, Kerrie Thomas-Armstrong, revealed that to date, Livvi has worked with Toby Gad who co-wrote Big Girls Don’t Cry for Fergie, and with songwriter Angela Hunte who was one of the songwriters behind Showstoppers, the first Danity Kane single. She has also worked with SRP’s Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken, who are credited with discovering Bajan superstar Rihanna. In a statement released by SRP to CiRCUIT magazine, Rogers stated: “Livvi is a brilliant writer with an amazing voice – totally unique and distinctive. Her appeal will cross many boundaries. She also has all the star quality you could ask for – the whole package, which is rare. We (SRP) are excited to be part of the project!”

Strong Barbadian Links Remain

Armstrong also revealed that access to international industry insiders does not necessarily imply that Livvi’s future project will exclude Barbadian industry professionals. It was, after all, the strength of her local management and local production team which heavily influenced Jive’s interest in the Livvi project. Armstrong will continue to manage Livvi in a co-management deal with Armstrong’s longtime friend, Allison Hunte, who is also Kevin Lyttle’s manager and a Barbadian. The co-management deal allows Livvi to continue her work with Armstrong, who has guided the singer/songwriter’s budding career, while being further supported by a management link already familiar with the complexities of managing a Caribbean artist in a global music environment.

Livvi’s other local ties include songwriting/production collaborations with Tony ‘Rebel’ Bailey, Chris Allman, De Red Boyz and Eyan. She is likely to continue working with other Barbadians within the coming months.

Just who is Livvi Franc?

Livvi’s Jive deal may come as a surprise to the vast majority of Barbadians, as not many Bajans are familiar with the name Livvi Franc. Livvi’s management team seems to have employed a strategy of lying relatively low on public appearances while focussing on songwriting, voice training and studio recording. And so far, the strategy seems to have paid off. Livvi has now managed to add her name to a relatively short list of Barbadians who have secured deals with international record labels. Now that the news that another local artist has broken into the international arena, the obvious question remains: just who is Livvi Franc?

Born Olivia Charlotte Waithe to a Barbadian father and English mother, Livvi Franc’s multicultural, multiethnic background is reflected in her music style. Livvi herself notes that from an early age, her parents exposed her to a wide cross-section of music – ‘everything from Bob Marley to the Beatles.’ She also developed a love for artists such as Etta James, Nelly Furtado, Krosfyah, The Cranberries, Alanis Morrisette and Lauryn Hill. Livvi has spent years crafting her own personal style which has turned out to be an interesting blend of pop, R&B, folk and country.

Livvi’s fans are well aware of her musical stylings via her myspace page www.myspace.com/livvifranc. Free, Bliss, Shiver and Tap Tap, all produced by Barbados-born producers Classic Soul Productions, have struck a chord with Livvi’s growing online fan base and are sure to shine a spotlight on Classic Soul as a production unit.

During the CiRCUIT magazine interview, Armstrong repeatedly stressed the importance which her team placed on holistic artist development, noting that the signing didn’t just come out of the blue. Livvi’s camp had laid out a developmental plan for the artist which involved rigorous physical fitness sessions-compliments of Ray Armstrong (former lead vocalist of Krosfyah and Second Ave) and years of songwriting, studio sessions and vocal training-compliments of local jazz vocalist, Marissa Lindsey.

The Next Step

Livvi’s camp has been relatively tight-lipped on the details of the Jive deal. No info has been released regarding how many albums Livvi’s deal entails or how much money was involved in the deal. According to Armstrong, what is important for their team is continuing the foundation which has been set for an enduring musical career. What is known, however, is that her team is moving forward with plans for Livvi’s international debut, even though no timelines for Livvi’s first album have been released to the public.

According to Armstrong, her team’s first priority is producing and delivering to Jive a “solid album.” Similarly, the former Queen’s College student, Franc states, “getting the deal now appears to be the easiest part of this process. Packaging my sound and brand into a form that will be embraced by my label and my market, is the focus. I work hard and sacrifice with my team to realise this goal. Over the last three years I’ve learned that you’ve got to love what you do and surround yourself with a team of supporters who are equally committed to the journey, because in this business you can spend a considerable amount of time on the journey before you actually reach the destination. Yes I am ELATED to have signed a record deal, but I am well aware that my journey continues. So just as I did before my deal, I continue my songwriting, meeting potential new producers for possible collaborations and recording. And when I have a spare moment, you’ll find me cooking in the kitchen. I love to cook! It de-stresses me and makes me almost as happy as music!

http://starshinemag.com/2009/04/livvi-franc-bio/