You all were asking for Cleo, men Cleo! With her first single out since joining the band Hangout, read why she decided this was the right move and what should we be expecting from her in the near future.

Opa: What is your full name?

Cleo: Cleona Pierre

Opa: When is your birthday?

Cleo: July 26, 1978

Opa: What does music mean to you?

Cleo: I believe that music defines me. I was born the same day as Konpa, July 26th.

Opa: Who are your influences?

Cleo: Well, I pay close attention to Oriol, Orlane, and another female artist that I pay close attention to is, Cassandra. She deserves much more credit than she has gotten. But I think she’ll get more attention sooner or later.

Opa: Can you recollect your very first performance and the venue at which it took place?

Cleo: My very first performance, I was 5 years old in Haiti. I wanted to go see Jacques Sauveur Jean, he’s one of my favorite singers. My grandfather says if I can get 3 gourdes…he’ll would take me. So I decided to put on a show with my cousins, playing some musical instrument. I was the lead singer and dancer. The fundraising was very successful. After paying all the musician. I ended up with 4 gourdes. I also did a commercial for that juice company in Haiti, “ Tropic” when I was 7 years old. It was a contest with many contenders and I ended up being the winner.

Opa: Why did you leave Desire?

Cleo: D’sire was my baby. I started the group in 1996. I started it from scratch. D’ sire became a pain in the butt. The girls were not getting along, they use to fight. I invested all my life saving on that project. Ill tell you something that I’ve never told anyone else. I came very close to losing my house because of D’sire. I decided not to disband the band but instead to let the girls take the lead on their own. I believed in that project so much, I wanted the girls to continue working on the project because I was burnt out but unfortunately things did not go as I wanted.

Opa: You recently became a Mom…right?

Cleo: Yes sir.

Opa: Is it hard to be on the road knowing you left your child behind, wondering what going on with her?

Cleo: At first, it was. Remember I went back to Hang Out a month after I gave birth. But as she gets older and she‘s with my Mom, I know that she’s in good hand and, that she’s very safe but I’ll call every minute checking up on her.

Opa: What is the hardest part of the music business?

Cleo: Well, when the fans are being too harsh, and not too appreciative of the artists’ work. After spending many sleepless hours at the studio, working hard, and for the fans to just be so inconsiderate, and bashing the artist is very discouraging. It’s like I spend all my time in the kitchen cooking dinner for you, and you show no appreciation just because the taste was not to your liking. But at least show appreciation for the effort. And the bootleg situation which is getting out of control is also discouraging. Watching someone else reap the profit of your hard work.

Opa: How did you get involved with Hang Out?

Cleo: Hangout, Maestro Tiness, contacted me for Dzine because of a video he saw me in that I did with D’sire. He wanted me to get involved with Dzine. I refused because I was still in the middle of my project with D’sire. When Dzine broke up and they started to build Hang Out. The guys went to Ritchie to ask for suggestion on a female singer. Ritchie again referred them to me. Tiness called me for a meeting with management and that was it. I hired on the spot.

Opa: What is it about Hang Out that keeps you plugged in?

Cleo: The vision from the beginning. For a moment we lost focus because of all the drama surrounding the band but I think we are getting back on track. Slowly but surely.

Opa: What are your goals with Hang Out?

Cleo: Well, hopefully on the next album I’ll get to lead a couple of songs then I’ll take it from there.

Opa: You just released a single, what was that like?

Cleo: OK…this single we took time working on it. Ronald…Ti-Reggie and I started working on it since January. I always wanted to put this single out to shut the critics who always say that I cannot sing. It was getting annoying so I was very determined to put something out and Ronald approached me and ask me if I wanted to work on the single with him since he already had the track almost ready. After a performance in Haiti, Ti-Regi asked me when I wanted to put my single out. I said whenever he decides to help me jokingly, and he said that he would contact me when he gets to Miami the next time. He did and here we are with the single.

Opa: When you were in the studio recording the single, did you find that you often end up doing a lot of takes or did it go pretty smooth?

Cleo: It was easy because I knew what I wanted to do. But Ronald also had his vision as well. We ended up clashing at times, he a straight forward guy who did not want to alter what ever his vision was. So I had a little problem because I wanted different things. He was reluctant to accept.

Opa: Did Ronald have a lot of control over you as to what pitch to take?

Cleo: He had a lot of control, total control. That sometimes it annoyed me but I accepted his advise as the producer.

Opa: If you had a choice of picking 3 other Haitian bands to perform with, which 3 would you pick?

Cleo: Zekle, Magnum Band, it’s a tie between two bands, either Tabou Combo or Carimi.

Opa: What is the reason for wanting to do a solo project…is it because you have materials that you think that does not fit Hang Out?

Cleo: I just wanted to do a single at first. After the single, some producers approached me and were interested in producing a whole album so now I start to focus on a whole album.

Opa: -Now that your first single is out, your ride is just beginning. What can we expect from Cleo in the future?

Cleo: You going to get a video in the middle of next month, and I will be going back to the studio to release another single within a month or two because some people are still not too sure about my singing ability and I will try to shut them up. I’m still getting a lot of critics so I need to go back to the drawing board…

Opa: Looking back what is the most important thing you’ve learned so far about the (HMM) Haitian Music Market?

Cleo: You gotta be a bit** to survive especially if you’re a woman. Go get it yourself and don’t listen to the critics too much. You have to persistent, and never give up.

Opa: Tell us about your experience working along side Georgie?

Cleo: I was hoping to get a better experience from her. I was looking to get to learn a lot from her, given the fact that she has been in the business for 20 years or so. I was looking at her as a mentor to learn a few things from her. But all I got was drama so there is no good experience to talk about, only bad and you all know what they are.

Opa: What’s the most bizarre thing you can think of that happened to you while performing on stage?

Cleo: Ok…I was performing while wearing those fake boobs, and they were changing space. The left one was going right and the right one was going left. I was trying to hide it both from the audience and the guys from the band. because I knew they would make fun of me afterward.

Opa: Why did you decide to wear those fake boobs?

Cleo: Because I was wearing that sexy top and I needed to show some cleavage to make it look sexier given the fact that I don’t have much (giggling) so I decided to wear those That was one of the most embarrassing moments of my career.

Opa: You did many interviews, what’s the weirdest question you can remember being asked in an interview?

Cleo: This guy asked me if I was sweet. I thought he was referring to my singing so I said, of course, I’m sweet then he asked if I could demonstrate to him.

Opa: Where is your favorite place to perform and why?

Cleo: Paris, the people over there are really appreciative of musicians and they give their full attentions and respect to the artists.

Opa: What is your idea of success in the HMM?

Cleo: Success to me has no end. One should always be on the search to be more successful. It’s an everlasting journey, there is no end to any one’s success.

Opa: Are you single?

Cleo: I am somewhat. Not too sure if I’m, maybe. To say that I’m not single yet I don’t know, I’m single.

Opa: Do you find a lot of men hitting at you? If yes how do you handle it?

Cleo: f I say no, I’ll be lying. I’m a very sweet person so while I’m on stage I’ll give you attention, hope and disappear but when I’m out of the music scene I’m a different person.

Opa: What are some of your fantasies?

Cleo: I want to be butt naked in India just walking and taking a long stroll. I like everything about India. I even gave my daughter an Indian name.

Opa: Do women approach you as well? And how do you respond to them?

Cleo: Yes sir and they are not discrete about it, as a matter of fact very recently, this past Thursday…I was performing and this girl grabbed my ass while I was going to the restroom. As an artist I didn’t want to start trouble, I had to be polite. I smiled and said “gotta go.” I handle them the same way I handle men when they approach me …I give them hope and disappear. But I give them respect because women can handle a woman as much as a man can. Some people say even better.

Opa: What’s your life like outside the music world?

Cleo: I’m a businesswoman. I run my own business (mortgage company) so when I’m not in the music world. I’m in the business world.

Opa: Do you sleep in your PJ, lingerie or naked?

Cleo: It depends on the night, I do all 3, especially during summer, I’ll sleep butt naked. Lingerie during spring, winter is my PJs time.

Opa: What is your view of an ideal boyfriend?

Cleo: My ideal boyfriend would not be in the music business but supportive of me. Romantic just like me, 6”1 medium shoe size, not too light, not too dark…in between. Very good in bed.

Opa: Have your heart ever been broken before, and how did you get over it?

Cleo: Yes sir, my heart has been broken. I only have myself to blame for it by blaming myself it is very hard to get over it. I’m still not over it because If I come face to face with that person I might react in a way I wouldn’t want to.

Opa: You seem to be the kinds who want to be in control in a relationship, are you like that in bed as well?

Cleo: Yes, by nature I’m dominatrix. I take control in and out of bed. I’ve been told that…want any references? (Laughing)

Opa: What are some of your biggest dreams?

Cleo: I want to make my millions in real estate and I’ll make it, I believe strongly in it.

Opa: Can you give us a sense of your spiritual life?

Cleo: I am a Baptist. I use to go to church a lot. I started my singing in church. Going to bible study. My Mom is very religious. I’m very spiritual and I believe in God. With all the drama that was happening to me during my pregnancy, prayer was always the answer to many my sleepless nights.

Opa: The last word to our readers?

Cleo: Finally, we are done. I want the people to understand that if you don’t like me today. I will continue to work hard until I prove and persuaded you to change your mind. I’ll be there for a while. I pay attention to the criticism, as long as it is constructive. Don’t be too harsh…nobody is perfect we can all learn and improve once you put your mind into it. All the other female artist, don’t give up even though most men in the industry will not encourage us or help us reach our goals. If you believe in yourselves you will make it. Where there is a will, there is a way. One of my psych teachers used to tell me “if you believe you going to die, you’ll find a way to kill yourself” so believe that you are eternal and let life take its course. I love the people who loves me and the one who don’t love me too.

Cleo: Thank you, Opa