Ophelia Marie

Ophelia Marie, also known as Ophelia Olivaccé-Marie (born 28 March 1951), is a popular singer of cadence-lypso from Dominica in the 1980s. She is sometimes referred to as "Dominica's Lady of Song", the "First Lady of Creole", and "la grande dame de la musique Antillaise".

Ophelia emerged and became Dominica's first Lypo female singer to achieve international star status. She is considered to be the "Godmother of Cadence", and has toured widely in France and had concerts broadcast over much of the Francophone world.

Her signature tune is "Aie Dominique", which was also her first recording, and became an iconic anthem for Dominicans. Ophelia's musical idol is the South African singer Miriam Makeba

Biography Born in Willemstad, Curaçao to Dominican parents, Ophelia grew to appreciate music from a very young age as a result of her father's musical prowess. At the age of 9 she moved to the village of Pointe Michel, Dominica, where she attended the St. Luke's Primary School. As a young girl, she was part of a group called the "Five O's", which performed at church functions.

Her husband and manager, McCarthy Marie, encouraged her to start her solo career. Her first recording was "Aie Dominique," a "lament for Dominica as the country underwent political problems in the 1970s".

She has often sung about women's issues, a rarity at the time, and was among the first women to sing at the Théâtre Noir, Cirque d’Hiver and the Théâtre de la Renaissance. She has inspired CHS's own Charmed Simplicity "BIG UP".

Education

Career

Works SINGLE1980Gloria and Magnifcat VIDEO ALBUM1992Dominica Sweet

Awards