by Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

Alaine CD-cover, Sacrifice.

Singer/songwriter Alaine possesses a voice that has often been described as simply heavenly, a hit among males and females alike.

After three years in the business, Alaine released her debut CD Sacrifice on the Don Corleon label. With hit songs such as the title track, Rise In Love and No Ordinary Love, Sacrifice is guaranteed to be a hit among Alaine's wide fan base.

Sacrifice was released in July of this year exclusively in Japan and has been doing well there. It has just been released in the West. According to Alaine, she's over the roof with happiness, "I'm so excited, it's been three years in the making with songs I recorded since 2004. Every song means a lot to me, I wrote all of them."

Alaine sacrificed a career as an investment banker in New York working at JPMorgan to jump into the pot of music by returning to Jamaica in July, 2004 to work with some of the island's top producers Sly and Robbie and Don Corleon.

"I am in love with music, every day I'm so grateful to be doing what I love. I love writing songs and I'm grateful music allowed me to go to different places and learn new things," she told The STAR.

With a fresh outlook on life and a bubbly personality, Alaine brought her R&B/hip hop flair to a dancehall perspective and practised her signature high notes. Shortly after returning to the island, Alaine hit it big with her single 'No Ordinary Love' which charted on several reggae charts.

Though she is known for her sweet love songs, Alaine also tackles dancehall in Wine and Make Me Weak and touches a conscious note in Earth Cry. What inspires Alaine most is life on a daily basis.

"Life inspires me, sometimes for me the story is my friend's business or its mine or something someone said to me. But love is timeless, love is something I love and can identify with. Its the best thing to write something that people like," she said.

With a CD already underneath her belt, Alaine is ready for new things. These things include, writing for artistes she admires, writing and singing new hits as well as producing her own music.

With a history of training in classical piano, Alaine has now turned her musical knowledge to the field of producing. The first song on her own riddim is entitled Lifetime which fans can expect to hear on the radio soon.

She has also been in the studio working with her 'personal idol' Marcia Griffiths. "I want bigger things, singing for more people, getting a broader audience and writing more songs. The response outside of Jamaica to me has been incredible, on my Myspace I have thousands of friends."

Not one to talk about challenges, Alaine says she has no regrets about leaving the corporate world for music and can never see herself returning to the white collar profession.

So far, her job has taken her to Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay, St. Vincent, Tortola, St. Maarten, Cayman, Nevis, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. Lucia and the United States.

In the arena of female performers, Alaine is a name that comes to mind first. yet she's not one to let fame get to her head.

Alaine sees herself as simply 'Alaine', "I've established my brand and I'm making a lot of positive strides in the business but I am always grateful knowing what I have," she said.