Say Hello To Teen Star Célinedee Matahari

Célinedee Matahari is a name that we're sure you're all going to be hearing a lot more of. At just 16 this singer/songwriter is a real force to be reckoned with, already having achieved so much and we know she's going on to even bigger things. The Raemona team loved spending time with her and learning more.

Célinedee was born in Dubai to music-loving and playing parents (her mother is Indonesian and father French), to the extent that both her brother and herself were named after Enrique Iglesias and Celine Dion, who her mum met while expecting them.

Célinedee started taking ballet classes when she was just 3 years old and fell in love with the ukulele and guitar. Her first show was dancing at an awards ceremony when she was 6 and after winning a few national talent competitions, she decided to give songwriting a go and well here we are today! Célinedee was recently commissioned to write the music and sing on upcoming 2 songs which, quite uniquely, are a soundtrack for a book on cricket called 'VIKTORY' which is based on a cricket prodigy: great timing after India won the World Cup.

Let's learn more about Célinedee...

// Did you always know that you wanted to be a singer/songwriter?

Yes. That has always been my passion after listening to legends like Taylor Swift or Olivia Rodrigo. It's pure joy for me. Music has always been my joy and sharing that with others is what I live for.

// What has been your biggest career highlight so far?

I have been extremely fortunate this year to live some truly unbelievable moments. It started with singing for the Indonesian President, H.E. Joko Widodo on his arrival at COP28 (and subsequently appearing in the official video of his trip). Then I sung for the multiple Oscar/Grammy winning legend AR Rahman, who posted my video on his Instagram account. I was also invited to sing at the opening of the 30/50 Summit in Abu Dhabi by FORBES USA magazine and sang my original song 'STAY' one-on-one with the amazing queen Shania Twain. And finally I sang at the opening of EARTHSOUL (the UAE's 1st eco-conscious festival) hosted at the Coca-Cola Arena with the one and only Jason Derulo, in front of 7000 people, which was definitely a pinch-me (hard!) moment!

// How important is social media to you in your music career? 

It is fundamental. For starters, I would definitely not even be doing this interview without it. I had the incredible experience and luck of going viral twice this year thank to the songs with the Indonesian President and AR Rahman. Before social media, it was so difficult for young artists to be discovered. You had to send demos directly to record companies or go to though to countless grueling auditions to hopefully gain some exposure. Social media kind of cuts through all these processes and gives you the unprecedented opportunity to reach out directly to artists, the media and not to mention billions of people! My passion is to sing in multiple languages (16 so far) so needless to say to social media for me is my window to the entire world. It also enables you to be in control of your own career, through marketing deals with brands etc like never before. Having said that, it's also important to have a real life outside social media and keep practicing music on a daily basis by doing as many live shows as possible (and not only performing in your room).

// Any learnings or top tips for others when it comes to social media?

Yes! Block the haters and ignore the negativity. Even though I have been extremely fortunate that 99.9% of my interaction with social media (managed and controlled by my parents) has been extremely positive, the support and love received so far has been truly overwhelming. But nothing is perfect and social media also has its potential bad side, but we are extremely lucky in the UAE that social media is tightly controlled to prevent any kind of abuse, which is unfortunately not possible in other countries and can lead to disasters. As far as tips are concerned, be disciplined and consistent by creating daily content to grow your channels; listen and interact directly with your audience by doing lives.

// How important is education to you? Are you planning to go to university? 

Education is life, you stop living if you stop learning. I completed my French 'Brevet' last year and hope to pass my English O'Levels this year (fingers crossed!). Regardless of how my music career is going, I always want to learn new skills. Look at Olivia Rodrigo for instance. Despite being so successful already in her career, she went back to university to learn poetry, how awesome is this! This will make her art even stronger. As far as university is for me is concerned. Yes, why not, let's see how things go and I'm keeping an eye for the chance to get a scholarship at a top international music university.

// Do you believe “women can run the world”?

They not only can run it but should be doing so even more and are thankfully gaining more ground on a daily basis! In March, at the Forbes 30/50 Summit, I was so impressed to meet so many young female leaders in all walks of life, not only business. I will never forget listening to the amazing Ellen Johson Sirleaf, the first elected Head of State in Africa - so powerful, yet so humble and inspiring. She said that being in power is not and never should be considered as a personal bonus but a duty not to be taken lightly and that you should always serve for others and never for yourself! She obviously led by example as she is so loved by her people until this day. And in November this year, who knows : we may have the 1st-ever female American President! Why not! Even if the music industry is still very much man-controlled, more and more women are making their mark like Taylor Swift for instance who is very inspiring 

// What one piece of advice would you like to give to other young women?

Self-confidence is extremely important. I love going to schools and meeting younger children who have so many questions about what I do, on how to overcome stage-fright for instance. As far as tips go - don't let others bring you down, always believe in yourself and remember rejection is part of life but don't let that bring you down. Even if 50 doors close, you just need one to open which could lead you to amazing opportunities you never even dreamt of, and I speak out of experience here. Always keep chasing your dreams - the sky's the limit!

Keep up to date with Célinedee and her world on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/celinedee_matahari/