Jamaican-born model and creative Alisha Thorpe shares insights from appearing in Jahmiel's new video and looks into a promising future
Alisha Thrope, Full of creativity, thanks to culture (Adrian, mirrored.lights)
As we all know, being a millennial in Jamaica can sometimes be a difficult task. However, as Jamaicans, it is through our culture that we find solace in times of adversity.
Music is a prime representation of Jamaican culture and lifestyle. Music enhances creativity making it an engaging way to connect with Jamaicans. It is the means by which we communicate with each other and express ourselves. From ancient times to our times, Music has become a creative way of life for Jamaicans to express themselves and earn income.
Natural talent: her beauty speaks to the camera
It is no different for 18-year-old Alisha Thorpe, a Jamaican content creator, and model who enjoys navigating her own reality whilst being at the center of a lens. Growing up with a father who has a prominent career in both photography and videography, it is safe to describe Thorpe as “naturally creative”.
Alisha Thorpe, Pretty Naturally (Adrian, mirrored.lights)
Despite having goals and aspirations for a different career path, she soon easily realized that being a model and content creator was her true calling. Appearing most recently Jahmiel’s latest single 'Favorite Dress', Alisha has been able to capture the essence of a moment using her beauty to evoke the emotions of every lyric.
"Jahmiel creates music that will genuinely make you feel good and that’s the same being in his presence. I loved how professional they were and how they ensured that I was comfortable. The creative mind behind the concept was Ruption aka Ruppi, But Shari was the producer that reached out to me about it", the talented Jamaican girl shared.
"I am actually very new to the music video scene. But, my first feature was in Gyptian’s video 'I’m for you' featuring Khalia. It was my very first time being on set as this was my first shoot as a model. I learned a lot from that experience about how to prepare and what to expect when filming", she elaborates.
Although she is new to the music video scene, she is no stranger to the youtube platform as it was indeed her first love. Enjoying the pleasure of sharing her reality through content for the world to see, Thorpe continues to explore her personality and learn more about herself daily through her experiences.
“As Jamaicans, I feel it was embedded in us from the beginning of time to dance to your own rhythm. Even in schools, we tend to see students enjoying turning lessons into songs to help with studying”, she said as she caught up with Kaboom Magazine.
The native model went on further to express, “We have to give thanks to our ancestors for such a rich culture. I believe the reason why we are so unique is that we are divergent. There are tons of variations in our dances, food, language & creative arts, especially our music”, she added.
Ali & Jahmiel on set, "loved how professional they were and how they ensured that I was comfortable" (Prod By Nick)
Take this opportunity: this is the right time to be creative
As a young Jamaican, creativity is a value to develop yourself and of course to earn money, a kind of survival ability that will be created over time. "We are just in the era where creatives are now getting the recognition they deserve. We now have more short films being created and broadcasted, artists, dancers, muralists, and the list goes on. If you ever dreamt of being in the creative world, now is the perfect time to do so because creative careers are slowly being appreciated as actual jobs. Organizations like KingstonCreative and Digital Jamaica have been giving creators both recognition and opportunities, I am very pleased with that", she explains.
Thorpe’s vision is to help others do the same. "My goal is to create an environment that fosters innovation and creativity. I hope to be of inspiration to others so that you can do what you enjoy while making a profit", she said.
Being in an underrated industry, Alisha expressed that creatives are just now getting the recognition they deserve. A quick source of income for many, whether through music or content creativity, more Jamaicans have gravitated to this career as we are naturally creative people. Connecting to our roots we continue to break barriers for Jamaican Culture.
Alisha Thorpe, We are just in the era where creatives are now getting the recognition they deserve (Michael Gordon)
"However, I hope to see more companies/agencies investing in our creative industry. It is through our skills and talents that have made Jamaica the diverse staple in music that it is today", Thorpe points a finger. "I only wish we had a better economy that would better protect our intellectual property and foster more creativity".
Ali is very inspirational🤩
Amazing article, thank you for shedding light on such an important matter.