Virgin Islands Talent on the Rise: Renique

Renique, aka Tymia Fahie, is an eighteen-year-old singer from The Virgin Islands who aspires to become a world-renown artist. People know her from the local Gen-Y Factor Competition and her performance at the 2022 Elmore Stoutt High School Valedictory Service. I featured her in my 2020 BVI Youth on the Rise article with other young creatives and entrepreneurs. Renique shares her inspiration, supporting cast, plans, and ideas in this article.

Renique's Musical Journey
Renique shared, "I started singing when I was approximately two years old. It was at my church's Christmas concert when I bravely took the stage." She comes from a family that loves music. Her father is an avid old-school reggae fan. Her mother sang in a church choir and was a member of an all-girl singing group. She stated, "I guess it’s fair to say that music is within me." Renique sings at her home church and other sanctuaries when invited to perform.

Who Writes Your Songs?
She shared: "I write the lyrics to all my songs. Sometimes, I share what I write with a friend to get feedback. Constructive criticism comes more from my mom."

"Liar"
Renique's latest release is "Liar." She wrote "Liar" after a friend told her about a recent breakup. "The things that she told me - I kept in mind and added the additional words to create the song. That’s how the song got its title, “Liar.” "Liar" was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Brent Hoyte and Jougo in November 2022.

Lyric Snippet: "But things have changed and I see who you really are/ You're out here collecting hearts in a jar/ You lied to me/ Said that you gon' ride for me."

Renique's Inspiration
Renique shared that her inspiration comes from "things that happen in life, not just mine, but things that I see on a day-to-day basis."

Renique's Favorite Track of Hers
Renique shared that her favorite track she has created is “Heal Me.” She has not released "Heal Me" yet, but she is working to share it soon.

Advice to Youths Wanting to get into Music
According to Renique, "My advice would be to stay focused and remember that good things take time. And always put God first."

Renique's Proudest Moment
Renique said that her proudest moment was winning the 2023 TropicSpin Music and Song Competition with her video for "Liar." According to TropicSpin, the competition was open to "musicians and singers who have not won any national, regional, or international awards." According to Arawak Media and Caribbean Magazine Plus, "Liar" was declared the winning song after amassing "the most votes on [the] platform after all the votes were tallied. No one else came close." They also shared that entries came from Colombia, Jamaica, Trinidad and Grenada, and other countries.

Something Most People Don't Know About Renique
She said, "I'm an introvert at heart."

Renique's Message to the World
Her message to the world is: Be yourself - real people will accept you for who you are."

Who Renique Listens To
Renique enjoys old-school music, including Percy Sledge and Otis Redding. She shared, "When it comes to finding inspiration for writing my music, it would be Ann Marie, Tink, Sydney Renae, Sam Smith, and Antonio Sanders - mostly R&B artists.

Shout Outs
Renique would like to thank everyone who has supported her with her music. She would like to highlight the following persons:

• "Shout out to my mother for getting me to and from my studio sessions."
• "Shout out to Tre, Oreo for their listening ear and telling me what could be fixed and done better."
• "Shout out to Mrs. Desiree Flanders-Harrigan and the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports for allowing me to share my music with The Virgin Islands community."

This young singer is a talented performer and lyricist with immense potential. Please subscribe to Renique's Facebook, Soundcloud and YouTube pages for updates and new releases.

POEM: Out of Breath

panting while I stand still
it's like I'm haunted
or maybe I'm hunted
I can hardly catch my breath
it's not like I'm close to death
but the breadth of my pressures
knock my wind out
and even though the pain
winds down
I whine constantly
I'm not a wine drinker
but I am an overthinker
classified as a sunk cost
described as a soul that's lost
and as my heart overbeats
and my breath cannot be controlled
my mind is swimming
while my hair keeps thinning
and breaking and shedding
like a feather plucking bird
in a destructive behavior
I am in constant upheaval
in a consistent erracticness
never without distraction
disagreement
and disgust
with no rescue diver
no designated driver
and no CPR giver
I pant
as I
stand still

© Linette Rabsatt 2023

POEM: cohesion by Linette Rabsatt

Check out my latest recorded poem, cohesion.
https://youtu.be/uj4oGnaJOlA
It's one of my pieces in Be Inspired: Poems by Linette Rabsatt.

Happy Father's Day 2023

Wishing all dads, grandpas, uncles and godfathers a blessed Father's Day. I'm sharing a piece I wrote when my Grandpa passed away. I hope it will inspire someone.

Original post can be found here.

POEM: Vivid Visions

I see vivid visions
that are often far
from any version of reality
these sights don't 

match my vigilance

but insight vengeance 

and vain thoughts

but I do not support

irreverence
because these experiences

let me venture

from places unknown
to worlds untold
I am invigorated 

by the possibilities
and intoxicated with these synergies
that connect me to an alternative life
so as my vices and the shrill voices
sometimes offset my vibes
making it so intense

that I become valiant

and versatile

I cherish these sights

and though vague and repetitive

they make me want to visit

some new place 

where the vultures

feed on nightmares

and the velocity of nature

is variegated by the vernacular
valued by the villagers 
and vaulted from virtuality
into reality

© Linette Rabsatt

POEM: Where is the Love?

Black Eye Peas asked,
"Where is the love?"
but "Love doesn't live here anymore"
Cost of living high
Status ain't for all
They refuse to answer your questions
or requests for clarity
And when you speak up,
they are ready to write you up
or write you off
But all water ain't salt
And all salt ain't seasoned
But for some apparent reason
The power has gone to our heads
while many people's bank accounts
stay in the red
and theirs stay in the color of greed
But I hope that we bear that in mind
that today may be my turn
and as I nurse my burns,
I know that love's been gone
it's been broken, tainted, and forlorn
lost in the sea of difficulty
discarded beyond the moon's opacity
forever gone from this time

Written on the spot.... I guess the thoughts were hot.
© Linette Rabsatt

World Poetry Day 2023

Today is World Poetry Day! It is a day that I can celebrate one of my pastimes. I started writing poetry in an English course at the University of the Virgin Islands in 1996. Since then, I have compiled over 200 pieces, some of which I have published on this blog. I have performed in the USVI, BVI, and Guyana, and online with other poets from all over the world.

Poetry is one of the outlets that I use to harness my energy. I was one of the people duped by poetry.com, but it did help me to hone my talent. The site had haiku writing exercises that challenged writers to create poetry based on photos. I use that insight to participate in Visual Verse, which has published some of my poetry in 2022.

My journey includes rejection at events and from The Caribbean Writer. Interestingly, the rejection from The Caribbean Writer inspired Virgin Islands Callaloo: Poems from the Caribbean. I vividly remember performing original poetry at a competition that someone reading popular poetry won. However, I stand resilient and share my work. I have learned my audiences and share to suit.

After being encouraged, I published a small collection of poetry for Kindle titled, "Be Inspired: Poems by Linette Rabsatt." Publishing printed books is expensive. Sadly, support is often implied, but not always actualized. Therefore, for 2023 World Poetry Day, I want to encourage writers and artists to continue to hone their crafts and inspire others. I hope I have helped to pave the way for others to grow and develop.

Here are some poems from my overall collection!

This is one of my first poems, written for the English course.

For Real
Who am I that I want to be you
How to myself I am so untrue
To bleach and blush my beautiful face
Throw down my blackness for the next man’s race.
O how the lye has burned my head
Sobs, as hair morphs, then falls dead
The stress, money, the tears, the burns
Must raise my blackness. Oh when will I learn?
© Linette Rabsatt


I shared this poem on my blog on April 21, 2008.

My jeans tell the story of time
As we walk down the runway line
Bell-bottoms
Stone-wash
high waisted
and low rise
Pleated front
And faded
From back then to now
The fashion shows
That fashion comes
And goes
And comes back
And is unique
To each soul
© Linette Rabsatt


This piece was submitted to Visual Verse in December 2022.

Sight
I faded
like primary colors fade
when they are mixed with white
like the moon disappears
when the sun shines bright
not unlike my heart
when my mood is not right
I've got stains on my hand
because food security is the fight
complex and crazy
to sore eyes, I'm the sight
the key is a puzzle
to take you into the light
it has all the right colors
to get you ready for the flight
looking for your ticket?
it's turquoise, yellow, and green
with pink highlights
neatly packaged and
all enveloped in white
© Linette Rabsatt