By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
D’URBAN BACKLANDS, GEORGETOWN — From humming church melodies as a three-year-old to commanding major national competitive stages, Yolanda Gittens—professionally known in the entertainment arena as Crenity—has channeled a lifelong devotion to melody into an evolving artistic career.
A mother of two, professional nail technician, and recording artiste residing in the close-knit community of D’Urban Backlands, Georgetown, Crenity has built an independent musical catalog spanning 14 recorded songs. Her journey reflects the daily reality of balancing entrepreneurship, family life, and stage performance while establishing a distinct presence in Guyana’s contemporary dancehall and urban music scene.
Church Choirs to Dancehall Monarch: The Musical Evolution
Music emerged as an inseparable element of Crenity’s upbringing within a devout Christian home, where her natural affinity for harmony became obvious almost immediately:
- Early Vocal Roots: By age three, she was humming and mimicking melodies she heard, which led her directly into the church choir, where she developed her foundational vocal pitch and stage presence.
- School-Days Collaboration: Her creative ambition expanded during high school, where she collaborated with producer G-Money (now Wakanda) and recorded her debut single, “Party”, engineered by Ken Da Beatmaker—a track heavily inspired by her youth in D’Urban Backlands.
- Competitive Monarch Success: Proving her vocal agility before large festival audiences, Crenity tested her talent in the national Dancehall Monarch competitions, reaching the national finals in 2023 and securing fourth place in 2025, fine-tuning her vocal stamina and stagecraft alongside live backing bands.
“I started in church. I was always in the choir, always singing. My mom said that from about three years old, I was always humming. Whatever I heard, I was humming and trying to sing it,” Crenity recalled.
The Triple Life: Salon Schedules, Motherhood, and Late-Night Recording
Navigating the competitive creative sector while running a service business demands strict daily discipline:
- Balancing Work and Family: Operating as a nail technician, Crenity manages a demanding client schedule that leaves limited daytime space for lyricism. After work, she focuses on caring for her two young children.
- Family Support Network: Living in a multi-generational household with her mother and children, Crenity credits her family’s daily support as the anchor that lets her balance commercial salon work with late-night creative sessions when inspiration strikes.
- Catalog and Cross-Border Production: Her 14-track discography features standout releases including “Rewind”, “High”, “Find Out”, and “Trouble”. Her production credits extend beyond domestic studios, including tracking sessions and collaborations in Trinidad and Tobago and internationally in Canada.
Rebuilding Self-Confidence: ‘Stay on Your Game’
Crenity candidly discussed the internal obstacles she had to overcome, noting that negative opinions and external criticisms often caused her to question her creative worth:
- Confronting Outside Doubts: Overcoming imposter syndrome and outside skepticism was a decisive turning point in her artistic maturity.
- Lessons from the Competition Arena: Reflecting on her competitive placements, she emphasized that staying focused and maintaining personal standards is essential to surviving the entertainment industry.
“Reflecting on your journey in music, what would you say to yourself then and to yourself now?” reporter Antonio Dey asked during the studio interview.
“Then and to myself now… so I’ve learned from Dancehall Monarch last year: I’m in a class here—not to let anybody down, take you off your game,” Crenity affirmed.
Backed by her core team—music manager Earl Bishop and road manager Faith Yispam—Crenity continues to refine her energetic dancehall sound while experimenting with soulful R&B textures, setting her sights firmly on international distribution and regional stages to make her community and family proud.
Featured Music & Production Placement
- Featured Single: “Rewind” by C-RenityCRENITY – REWIND MUSIC VIDEO [00:05]Cue Out Tag: Accompanied by the lyrical hook: “We nah want to carry weight pon my back… press rewind.”
