CURTIS CAMPBELL, Star Writer

Upcoming reggae artiste Jay Kartier is focused on transforming his rainy days into sunshine. The Canadian-based artiste has Jamaican lineag and compliments his music as being a fusion of reggae and R&B.

The artiste, who recently released a CD called 'This Is My Love', says that his music has a lovers rock flavour because of its local and international influence.

Jay Kartier has been doing music for 10 years and says it has been a rocky road filled with highs and lows. However, the artiste is adamant that his love for the music has been a motivation and it will carry him to the finish line. The artiste expressed that music is dynamic and he experiments with a singjay style at times in order to show versatility.

"The more you can do with the music, the better it will be for you if you want to be successful," he told THE STAR.

His new CD has a mixture of styles, and this he says was deliberate so that fans can get a better understanding of what he is about musically.

Inspired by artistes like Sanchez, R Kelly and Neo, Kartier says that he brings good content with good storylines to the listening ear. The artiste also has a foot in the international market, and a few notable performances under his belt, but says he is yet to reach his full potential.

"I have opened sets for Mavado, Serani, Assassin, Baby Cham, and Demarco, but those are mostly in Toronto. I'm trying to extend my reach to a broader audience," he told THE STAR. Kartier recently had a big hit song in Canada called The Club. The song spent several weeks at number one on the CHR1 94.1 FM chart. Music for the artiste can be found on iTunes.

"I'm selling, but it's not much at this point, but I have made a few sales," he revealed.

The artiste says that being in Canada gives him an advantage because the country is multiracial and they appreciate music from all cultures.

"There is a Canadian market for dancehall music, but it's not where it should be, right now we are working to get it there," he said.