A new hurricane has been spotted coming in from the Caribbean and meteorologists say that it's going to cause some serious damage to the United States. This hurricane is considered to be dangerously sexy and has been measured to be a hazard to young and old people everywhere. Fusion Records, the first to spot this storm has named it Hurricane Rick Ramdehal.

Fusion Records, Inc., a record label based in New York has opened up a unique window for musical artists who use Caribbean music as a form of artistic expression to create, record, and market there music in order to better expose them in the world of entertainment. This is a great opportunity for these artists because Caribbean music just doesn't seem to get the same type of publicity and exposure into the mainstream markets as other types of music.

Me, the lucky girl that I am, got to interview the sizzling, sexy Rick Ramdehal; Fusion Records first artist to be given this grand opportunity. Rick has been performing Caribbean entertainment for ages and has inherited the gift of music, which streams through generations of blood. See what Rick has to say about his life as a musical genius!

Pauleen Arneja: There's a lineage of great musicians in your family, dating back to the 1840s. Your passion for music is obvious, and I'd like to know if you got "into" music because you were surrounded by it as a child, or because there was truly a fire in you from the day you were born. In other words Rick, do you think you would have pursued music had it not been for your ancestors?
Rick Ramdehal: The answer to that question is absolutely not, I mean yes, ummm no, I am kidding, ok seriously, my first memories are of music, from my grandparents, parents, brothers, parties, temple, all types of music stretch way back to my oldest memories. I have pictures of me dressed like Elvis at the age of 4 or 5. The lineage certainly helped as a supporting infrastructure in the early days, but over the years of hard times and trying challenges the support of the lineage eroded, and the "comfort" of having a family in the space was not as powerful as it was while I was a kid. It's certainly the ancestors that got me started, but there is no denying the fact that the fire is what keeps me going today.

PA: Do people tend to compare you a lot to your ancestors and their musical abilities? How do you feel having to live up to the name of your fathers and forefathers and there musical abilities? (For example: Abhishek Bachchan having to live up to Amitabh Bachchan. haha I know you're a Hindi movie fan Rick, don't deny it) Do you feel a pressure to rise and shine to there standard or do you feel like you want to accomplish greater things with your talents?
RR: Hindi movie fan? Are you kidding me? I watch it daily with my mom and my aunts; I even take part in the crying, well maybe not, that's a little over the top. Kal Ho Naa Ho certainly did a number on me emotionally. Living up to my ancestors? That's a tough one, man, my brothers still yell at me all the time during band practice (my 3 brothers play in my band-RPM). My dad and others are not too sure about this cross over angle, but they are delighted to see the Indian influences in the music. My mom loves that track Ecstasy. I think my parents and family, being aware of the changing times and cultural transition are really respecting what I do, its hard to compare since my challenges are different from theirs, but at heart, the music is what matters, and the only measure of music is "fan reaction," we'll see how good I do after we get the final numbers from SexyDancin'.

"...So, they bring these hotties over to introduce me to and I'm thinking good lookin' out fellas..."

PA: You specialize in Taan singing. What is it, and why is that so distinguished from other types of singing? What is your favorite way to sing?
RR: The emotions that you can facilitate in Taan singing for your listeners are beyond what you can do in any other genre. Taan is probably right up there as my favorite type of singing, it's not produced, there is no one helping you, it's you and the music. Reggae would be up there too, but I have often flirted with the Rock N' Roll aspects of our life's musical evolution. I had the most fun with "Free," it's an intriguing track on my album, but any time I get a chance, I sing Taan with the locals, just for the fun of it, not as Rick Ramdehal, just as another brother in the singing group.

PA: You've gotten rave reviews from your many performances and many screaming fans. What does it feel like to be up on stage performing and having people chanting RICK RICK RICK over and over again?
RR: Awww man, it's the best, I love seeing people have a good time, I am the comedian in the family, I crack corny jokes all day just to get folks to laugh, my friends bury there heads in shame when we go out and I try to talk to girls. Ever hear the one about... Nope I am not going to tell jokes... performances are gratifying, I was in Toronto last month and a fan came up to me after the show and said "Where were you all my life?" My guest book is riddled with the good stuff, reviews on Amazon.com pour in all the time. My gratification comes from seeing the fans enjoy the music, but every once in a while, I do pull a couple of ladies up on stage, and that's when its sinfully worth its while (winks).

PA: While you've been riding on the popularity wave of your album, how have you taken advantage of your newfound fame? Whether with females or otherwise, and don't hold back the truth from our readers damn it. You know we all want to live vicariously through you.
RR: With the newfound popularity, I've been able to get in some clubs based on recognition, lots of free drinks, though I'm not a big drinker. Some of my friends have been able to get "Hooked up" by saying they know me or they're with that guy. So, they bring these hotties over to introduce me to and I'm thinking good lookin' out fellas, but my boys seem to have covered most of the bases already. "Taking advantage" and "females" seem to have the wrong connotation when in the same sentence, but I do get frisky on the dance floor when the lady gives me the right signs. With the right "femme" I enjoy stimulating conversations and even more stimulating kisses. Yes, this has come to pass with my new found fame in the recent past.

PA: Tell me a little bit about your childhood growing up in the Caribbean. What did you do for fun? Who did you hang out with? What did you want to be when you grew up?
RR: Man, we grew up poor, perfect opportunity for a poor joke right? I made my own toys, I made boats out of plants that floated in water and made snails out of the pages of my notebook, made homemade scooters, went crab hunting, I grew up on a river bank. The favorite part of growing up in the Caribbean is the beaches, I absolutely love the sun, being in the water and enjoying the weather. The one thing I really can't imagine how I lived without is television, we were really poor, my entertainment was listening to music, listening to the radio, practicing with my family, going to temple, that kind of stuff, I would never trade it, but god I wished I could have watched some Looney Toons. The only way to watch Hindi movies in those days was to go to the movies, which was three villages away and rather expensive, can you imagine that? I watched one a month but the music was always available to be listened to. That helped. On the whole, it taught me how to appreciate what I have come upon in America, just like all of us who were born in other countries and migrated here.

PA: What languages can you speak?
RR: English, Hindi, Spanish, and American ghetto (laughs), oh, and I also speak Instant Messenger, a new lang all by itself, u no what I mean? hehe

PA: You've infused Caribbean, Indian, and American music in your album Sexy Dancin'. Tell me what sorts of influences did you have around you in order to make that kind of mix?
RR: Great question, I always love to answer this one, growing up in the Caribbean it was all Indian influences as you can imagine, but I grew up over 60% of my life in Queens, New York, so you name it, Michael Jackson, not afraid to admit it, Sting, Aerosmith, Anand Sami, Anoop Jalota, Tupac, MatchBox 20, Bob Marley... Everything! Growing up in New York was awesome, to provide the multi-cultural influences. People I hung out with? Aww man, I was one of those dudes that hung out with all the girls, I never got into fights, never had "beef" was just a get-along with everyone kinda guy. In my late teens, college life led me down some dark hallways, looking for the girls that I was friends with in high school, but I am not sure my friends influenced me musically, being in night clubs constantly influenced the music, I have a thing for remembering DJ names, I know DJs that are more influential to my music than great starts. I would say the city, its nightlife, and the diversity enabled me to dabble into the Caribbean swing beat, the Indian sensuality and the American "good ole' time" mood to create this first album.

PA: If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and why?
RR: I would remove pride, I feel that "Abhiman" is the worst emotion humans can feel, it is the fuel of hate, greed, and every other bad facet of our kind. I try my best to remove my pride, it works sometimes for me, but when I am humble, it's almost like I am in a state of mind that I wish everyone else can be in, and I can only imagine the love that can be cultivated. Think about it, remove your pride, stop worrying about what someone else thinks about you, leave social boundaries, financial status, selfishness and the rest of their friends alone. Suddenly you feel solace, now think if everyone else could have felt like you, what a pleasant world. Don't get me wrong! I am not saying the world should be boring, I am just saying we can have fun, but be more humane to each other, and my experiences have led me to believe that pride is at the root of our problems.

PA: What's in the works for you now, what is Rick Ramdehal going to drop on us next? We want the inside scoop!!
RR: I've written quite a few songs on the subject of love, heartbreak, and love that's destined to be, but one song that's complete is a sexylicious song called, "Move That Thang." It's actually quite racy and management has asked me to tone it down a bit. It's sexually provocative. In my fusion circle, it's known as "the song that'll get ugly people laid" hahaha. See, I believe that sex is an art form and must be savored and I get quite explicit in my descriptions sometimes. So, I've been in the studio with my producer working on some new goodies. I'm really enjoying creating new music. Life is unfulfilled when you're not doing what your passion is.

PA: Ok, so we can't deny the fact that you're very handsome, well, at least I can't! When the females see your pictures they're going to want to know if you are single or not, and if you are, what do you look for in a woman?
RR: HA! HA! Pauleen, trust me, tell the ladies to hold their horses, while I am single, free, and disengaged, these record labels make you out to be more than you are. Half of the time I look at my promotional material and go "damn! I never knew I looked that good" I do appreciate the comment, and thank you, the answer? I am single and kinda looking... haha. What I look for in a girl? Hummm, not sure I can really crystallize an answer right now, but I like the girl next door kinda girls, I like girls that are hot even when they are in jeans and a simple white t-shirt.

Check out more on Rick at fusionus.com.

Do you have any thoughts on this? Feel free to send Pauleen an e-mail @ Pauleen Arneja.