When rhythm, melody and prose unite, there’s magic. A song can soothe the angry heart, bring joy to the saddest of souls and inspire a generation to succeed. The magicians who create these phenomena, are to celebrated and loved. One such magician hails from a vibrant village in the south of Dominica known as Grand Bay. Her name? Michele Henderson. From the tender age of two she was already honing her craft, singing at church, where her father played the guitar. Michele grew up in a musical family and was nurtured in the art of singing and song writing by her parents Marguerite-rose and Lambert Henderson. She was enrolled at the Kairi School of music where she learned to play recorder and flute while landing leading roles in the school’s choir productions on account of her strong voice and remarkable stage presence. Her music teacher, Ms Pearle Christian, described her as “a sprite of a girl” who at age nine showed signs of great promise.
Michele continued on to join the jazz band “impact!” at age 15 where she served as lead singer and flautist. The band enjoyed a brief stint at the top of the local music scene, releasing one album before breaking up in 1997. During that time, Michele also became involved with the calypso scene, arranging and recording background vocals on several albums for local calypsonians. She was also featured on an album of one of Dominica’s most famous bands, the WCK. She went on to play a pivotal role in the release of three albums commemorating the annual World Creole Music Festival held in Dominica during its independence season. Michele rose to prominence as a singer songwriter in those years and began to seek new challenges. Roland Delsol Jr, former bass player of “impact!” whom Michele later married, took on the task of producing her first solo album self titled, Michele Henderson. The album received glowing reviews and earned Michele her first international 
live performances. She was featured at the Grenada Spice Jazz Festival alongside Nestor Torres and Third World and the St. Lucia Jazz Festival. From then on, the calls came in from around the region and Europe for Michele to perform live at various festivals. She continued to record albums and make videos which gained her popularity in the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique and had a number one hit on the Zouk charts in France. She has shared the billing with international stars like Green Day and The Foo Fighters at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark, headlined the Jazz Artists on the Green and Jazz on the Hill festivals in Trinidad and Virgin Gorda respectively and contributed to charity worldwide by performing at fund raising events in London, New York and Hollywood. Michele has recorded 6 albums and one DVD to date with the latest project, “Home”, being published by extended release. She has shared the stage with a wide range of artists the likes of Taylor
Dayne, Chick Corea and Doug E. Fresh. With so much international experience under her belt, she has become a seasoned artist whose live performances leave audiences astounded at her level of talent and prowess. Michele also writes successfully for other artists some of whom have participated in and won local talent competitions.
In all of this, Michele has found time to have a family and engage in local activities on her island. She is the mother of two, director of two local businesses, board member of Crime stoppers Dominica, spokesperson for the Home at Heart Foundation and an officially appointed Goodwill Ambassador to Dominica. She continues to record and perform getting better with time. Michele is of the opinion that “the best is yet to come” in her career. For her, there is still more magic to be made!
RESUME
NAME: MICHELE HENDERSON-DELSOL
PERFORMING AS: MICHELE HENDERSON
DATE OF BIRTH: 31ST MAY 1979
SEX: FEMALE
ADDRESS: 1545 MABOUCHE GRAND BAY, COMMONWEALTH OF DOMINICA
TELEPHONE: 767 446 3614
EDUCATION
1995 – 1997: CLIFTON DUPIGNY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
1991 – 1995: DOMINICA GRAMMER SCHOOL
1983 – 1989: GRAND BAY PRIMARY SCHOOL
ALBUMS RELEASED
2000 “MICHELE HENDERSON”
2001 “MICHELE HENDERSON CREOLE SPECIAL LIVE”
2002 “SOUNDCHECK”
2004 “MWEN AIME’W”
2008 “SA KAI”
2014 “HOME”
DVD RELEASE
2006 “MICHELE HENDERSON LIVE @ THE WORLD CREOLE MUSIC FESTIVAL”
MAJOR PERFORMANCES
1995
- DOMFESTA SONG CONTEST WINNER - DOMINICA
1997
- DOMINICAN REPRESENTATIVE AT WORLD SCHOLAR ATHLETE GAMES - RHODE ISLAND, USA
- DOMINICAN REPRESENTATIVE AT CARIBBEAN BROADCASTING UNION SONG FESTIVAL - BARBADOS
2000
- CARIFESTA - ST. KITTS
2001
- DOMINICAN REPRESENTATIVE AT FRANCOPHONE GAMES - OTTAWA –CANADA
- SPICE JAZZ FESTIVAL - GRENADA
2002
- CONGALINE FESTIVAL – BARBADOS
- ST. LUCIA JAZZ FESTIVAL - JAZZ IN THE SQUARE & JAZZ IN THE SOUTH
- FETE DE BANANE – LORAIN, MARTINIQUE
- FETE DE CAPESTERRE - GUADELOUPE
- CHANT DE SIREN - GUADELOUPE & MARTINIQUE
- WORLD CREOLE MUSIC FESTIVAL - DOMINICA
2003
- ST. LUCIA JAZZ FESTIVAL HEADLINER - JAZZ IN THE SOUTH
- FESTIVAL DE TRINITE - MARTINIQUE
- FESTIVAL DE ST. ESPRIT - MARTINIQUE
- FESTIVAL DE AJOUPA BAYU - MARTINIQUE
- WORLD CREOLE MUSIC FESTIVAL - DOMINICA
2004
- NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL - USA
- MV FREEWINDS(PRIVATE CRUISE LINER - BARBADOS, ST.VINCENT ANTIGUA, ST.KITTS
- CARNAVAL - ST. FRANCOIS, MARTINIQUE
- UCLA JAZZ AND REGGAE FESTIVAL - LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
- ANTIGUA MUSIC FESTIVAL
- ANTILLIAANSE FEESTEN HOOGSTRATEN - BELGIUM
- LEUVEN ROCK FESTIVAL - BELGIUM
2005
- ST. VINCENT BLUES FESTIVAL
- ST. LUCIA JAZZ FESTIVAL
- IGUANA CLUB - ST.VINCENT
- MV FREEWINDS PRIVATE CRUISE LINER - ARUBA, BONAIRE, CURACAO
- ROSKILDE FESTIVAL - DENMARK
- WORLD CREOLE MUSIC FESTIVAL - DOMINICA
2006
- MV FREEWINDS - BARBADOS, ST. LUCIA, ST. KITTS, ANTIGUA
- JAZZ ARTISTS ON THE GREEN - TRINIDAD
- ST. LUCIA JAZZ FESTIVAL
- MV FREEWINDS - ARUBA, BONAIRE, CURACAO
- IMATRA BIG BAND FESTIVAL - FINLAND
- CAFÉ AMIGO, VIRU HOTEL - ESTONIA
- SAN FERNANDO JAZZ FESTIVAL - TRINIDAD
- CARIFESTA - TRINIDAD
- CREOLE & ALL THAT JAZZ - DOMINICA
2007
- WORLD CREOLE MUSIC FESTIVAL (DOMINICA)
- SAINT HILL MANOR (EAST GREENSTEAD ENGLAND)
- SHRINE AUDITORIUM (HOLLYWOOD CA)
2008
- ST. LUCIAJAZZ
- MV FREEWINDS 20TH ANNIVERSARY - CURACAO
- FREEWINDS’ WAY TO HAPPINESS CAMPAIGN - CARTAGENA COLUMBIA
2009
- SUMMER FESTIVALS - MARTINIQUE
- WORLD CREOLE MUSIC FESTIVAL - DOMINICA
2010
- ST. LUCIA JAZZ
- SAINT HILL MANOR CHARITY BALL - EAST GRINSTEAD ENGLAND
- MV FREEWINDS - ABC ISLANDS CHRISTMAS TOUR
2011
- L’ATRIUM - MARTINIQUE
- DE MO PI KAT NOT - TV PROGRAMME, GUADELOUPE
- MV FREEWINDS 23RD ANNIVERSARY - ABC ISLANDS
2012
- ST. BARTS MUSIC FESTIVAL
- WORLD CREOLE MUSIC FESIVAL, JAZZ AND CREOLE - DOMINICA
- JAZZ ARTISTS ON THE GREEN HEADLINER - TRINIDAD
2013
- JAZZ ON THE HILL HEADLINER - VIRGIN GORDA
2014
- QUEENS OF KADANSE - NEW YORK
ACCOLADES
1995: EMERGENS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT IN THE REGION - MARTINIQUE
1997: FAME AWARD FOR BEST RECORDING FEMALE ARTISTE - DOMINICA
1998: AUGUISTE ETIENNE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT - DOMINICA
2003: FAME AWARD FOR SONG OF THE YEAR 2002 - DOMINICA
2003: FAME AWARD FOR ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2002 - DOMINICA
2004: APPOINTED OFFICIAL GOODWILL AMBASSADOR TO - DOMINICA
2004: YOUNG ACHIEVERS AWARD – YOUTH AMBASSADOR DOMINICA
2004: “SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD” FROM THE CULTURAL DIVISION FOR CONTRIBUTION TO CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT - DOMINICA
2005: DBS FLAMBOTANT AWARD FOR FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR. - DOMINICA
2006: LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FROM THE “GRAND BAY REUNION ORGANIZING COMMITTEE” - DOMINICA
2011: LIFETIME AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO CULTURE FROM DIGICEL AND THE GRAND BAY ISIDORE ORGANISING COMMITTEE
2014: RECOGNITION AWARD FROM THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT FOR DEVOTION TO THE PROGRESS OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE.
MEDIA FEATURES:
MAGAZINES:
SHE MAGAZINE, THE BEAT, CARIBBEAN BEAT, MACO, HOME COMPANION, COVERS: KARIBIK JOURNAL, FRANCE ANTILLES ETC…
TV:
CARIBSCOPE, E-ZONE, BET JAZZ, ZDF TV-GERMANY, TRACE TV ETC…