Tami Chynn

The Jamaican vocalist Tami Chynn, who spent her childhood in Kingston, chose the title Out of Many...One for her first album, thereby nodding to both her nation’s official motto and the mixed ancestry she inherited from her parents. Her mother’s background unites Caucasian and African-American roots, while her father descends from Chinese and Cherokee lines; as musicians themselves, both parents actively nurtured the musical ambitions of Tami and her sister Tessanne. Tami became the first to convert that family encouragement into a professional opportunity when she joined reggae superstar Shaggy as a dancer on his 2001 world tour. Recognition for her singing followed three years later through a stage appearance at Jamaica’s prominent Reggae Sumfest festival and through studio collaborations with Sean Paul, Beenie Man, and Wayne Marshall, all in 2004. Late 2005 then brought a pair of milestones: a second Sumfest performance and the securing of a worldwide recording contract with Universal. The single “Hyperventilating,” co-written with Tessanne, surfaced early in 2006 to preview the forthcoming album, which arrived by summer’s end as its second single, “Looky Looky,” climbed the Jamaican charts.