Cherine Anderson has starred in two of Jamaica s most successful films; Dancehall Queen and One Love. She has written and recorded with respected producers and musicians including Sly & Robbie, Sting, Wyclef Jean, Bootsy Collins, Jimmy Cliff, and graduated with honors from the prestigious Middlebury College with a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Music and a minor in Japanese Language and Literature. Peppa Pot caught up with Cherine Anderson backstage, at Emancipation Park, Kingston Jamaica, as she prepared for her performance.

-- Interview by: Ra Umi Alkebu Lan

Peppa Pot: You feel good tonight?

Cherine: I feel really good tonight, I feel blessed.

Peppa Pot: So what is happening tonight?

Cherine: Well, Cable and Wireless has put on this thing in the park. It is a free concert and a couple of young artistes are on board to promote the event so that is what we are here doing.

Peppa Pot: What s your role?

Cherine: I m here to sing.

Peppa Pot: Sing? You re a singer?

Cherine: Singer and actress.

Peppa Pot: What movies have you starred in?

Cherine: I played Serena in One Love along side Kymani Marley and Tanya in Dancehall Queen.

Peppa Pot: I think a lot of people are familiar with Tanya in Dancehall Queen, tell us a little about the character Serena.

Cherine: Serena was the Christian girl that fell in love with a Rastafarian.

Peppa Pot: Do you think that that role represents something that happens in the daily lives of Jamaicans?

Cherine: Well I am sure, being around Kymani alot, I have even heard him speak about being Rastafarian and trying to date someone who was not Rastafarian. And the kind of biases that people have, the expectations that people had of him. So yeah I am sure, there are so many Rastafarians that come up to me and say that they have been in similar situations. So I know that it is something that s real.

Peppa Pot: How did u get involved in acting?

Cherine: I was a part of Ashe Ensemble so I was always doing everything. I was a singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. I did the whole package it was theatre that is my training.

Peppa Pot: Were you schooled in Jamaica?

Cherine: I was schooled in Jamaica; I was also schooled in the U.S and Japan.

Peppa Pot: Tell us about the Jamaican schooling.

Cherine: I went to Excelsior Primary, Wolmers, I did a year at Edna Manley, a year of 6th form at Queens, then I went to Middlebury College in Vermont and then I spent a year at Keio University in Tokyo.

Peppa Pot: Tell us about the achievements. I know you have a lot of achievements.

Cherine: (Laughs) I hold a Bachelors of Arts in Film and Music, concentration Japanese language and literature.

Peppa Pot: Do you speak Japanese fluently?

Cherine: I wouldn t say fluent, I would say proficient; I have lost a lot of it since I haven t been there for the last two years.

Peppa Pot: How do you compare schooling Jamaica and the different countries that you have been?

Cherine: It is different. I know for me, schooling in the U.S is a lot more diverse than here. You have people from all over the world. I was an international student; you had the kids from Pakistan. My college was very challenging, a lot of people have the myth that you leave Jamaica and you go abroad and get a U.S education and it is not as challenging, quite the opposite. It just depends on the school that you attend. I had to work my ass off to get a good grade. I mean with Japan, as the only black girl in most of my classes and Keio being like the Harvard of Japan, I had to really pull my own in Japan to stay on top of my classes and get good grades so that my grades would transfer to the U.S and allow me to graduate. Jamaica was challenging but you could do it. I mean you have your friends, your family, it is your culture, you have more of a support team around you in Jamaica so that is what I think makes schooling easier.

Peppa Pot: Ok, so you ve done some acting, two movies, and now Cherine is singing?

Cherine: It doesn t mean that I am not acting, when I did the film (One Love) I also co-wrote two songs for the movie s soundtrack. So when I did the film I got the opportunity to sing, write and act all at once. It kinda all came together.

Peppa Pot: You got to have a big payday out of all of that?

Cherine: (Laughs) The pay is the least, I love what I do; I really love what I do.

Peppa Pot: What are the songs that you re currently promoting?

Cherine: We have two songs currently on the market, one is called "Cookie" and the other is called "Good Love". Good Love is like a remake of "Love and Devotion", it is on that riddim, totally original song, Sly and Robbie produced. It is just like a fresh twist, my twist to a classic riddim. LaLa shot the video; she is one of the upcoming female directors in the business. I am just really excited to get up and promote that right now.

Peppa Pot: What is "Cookie"? I want you to tell me about that song.

Cherine: I love "Cookies", it s a fun party song. It is really about being a woman and being independent, having men respect you for your intellect, personality, for everything but the expected. And cookie refers to that thing, but you know, it is just a play on words. (Laughs)

Peppa Pot: Wait hold on, cookie refers to that thing?

Cherine: That thing.

Peppa Pot: Whatever that thing is.

Cherine: Yes, whatever that thing is. (Laughs)

Peppa Pot: A lot of women lately have been talking about this respect thing, what about this with respect thing between women and men?

Cherine: No, I am not on this female male bashing. I mean I get respect from males, but that song specifically, it speaks about women being independent, doing their thing. You want to be seen outside of this sexual object. Just as a person, someone that somebody could sit and talk to, just rap with and have fun with.

Peppa Pot: Alright - so tell us about "Good Love".

Cherine: "Good Love" is just about being with somebody who makes you feel good in every way, emotionally, physically [laughs], it is just a feel good song, a song that you can get cozy and hug up and just chill to. It is nothing that you have to sit down and kinda go through the words. On surface it is really about feeling really good about that person that you are with.

Cherine: I have five minutes to go on stage - I have to run. Thanks for the interview.

Watch Good Love by Cherine - click here

More On Cherine Anderson - click here