A decade on from releasing his first album, ‘Keyz To My Heart’, multitalented Beneil Miller has dropped his first EP, ‘Resonate Love’.
The singer, songwriter and musician – he plays piano, bass, drums and guitar, among others – said he was able to set out on this latest musical journey with the help of the Cayman National Cultural Foundation.
“I was fortunate enough to be a recipient of… the ‘Grant for the Arts’ programme'” through the foundation, Miller, known as ‘Lavakeyz’, told the Compass.
“Without this grant I’m not sure when I would have started this journey towards making an EP. I would have probably continued releasing singles as I’ve always had many songs, but I just don’t currently have the means to make a full production come to life in such a short space of time.”
The Jamaica-born, Cayman-raised artist got his start in music at church. “When I was around 12 or 13, my mother asked me what I wanted to do as a career and I told her music,” he said.
Miller later received a government scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and decided to record his first songs at Cayman’s Hopscotch Studios.
He first appeared on the music scene as a teenager at the 2009 Cayman Jazz Festival. His breakout performance as a recording artist was at Berklee where he performed songs from his album with a 12-piece band, Beneil and His Reggae Orchestra.
He currently performs throughout the island with his band, Kuhyah, bringing a fresh new dynamic to Cayman’s live music scene.
Making of ‘Resonate Love’
The five-track EP, which Miller describes as reggae fusion, contains songs ‘Cayman Islands’ which features the Swanky Kitchen Band, ‘Got To Give You This Love’, ‘Perfection’, ‘Let Love Resonate’, and its first released single, ‘Bless Mi’.
“I aim to craft a mesmerizing fusion of genres, with a bass-driven soundscape,” he said.
His ultimate goal is “to create music that can last a lifetime and music that Caymanian people can proudly call [theirs]”, he added. Miller called the process of making the EP a “positive experience”.
“Like anything in life, [there’s] ups and downs. For the first time, I was able to find a producer who was patient enough to sit through and bring my vision for the songs to [life],” he said.
A nod to Cayman’s music pioneers
Miller revealed that with the exception of one song, the tracks on the EP were produced locally, with a nod to the early music of Cayman.
“My biggest Caymanian influences for a long time have been the members of the 1980s band Memory of Justice. Even though Jonathan Ebanks and Charles ‘Greggie G’ Gregory are no longer with us, they played a pivotal role in where I am now in my music journey,” he said.
He described the importance of their influence. “Mr. Jon gave me my first experience of playing on a big stage at the 2009 staging of the Cayman Jazz Fest. I also only started my pursuit of being a recording artist because Mr. Greg challenged me to write an album. Those two experiences are some of the biggest reasons why I am where I am now,” he said.
He added, “Of course, Mr. Lambert ‘Lammie’ Seymour continues to give me great advice and encouragement as I continue my music journey. Lastly, the teacher who had the greatest impact on me was Mr. Junior Jennings. He opened my eyes to the world of jazz music and beyond.”
A Cayman-style EP
He produced the EP but also brought in others on specific tracks. Yannick Powell worked on two songs, and Brian Williamson another.
On ‘Cayman Islands’, the Swanky Kitchen Band added an indigenous musical flavour to the song.
“The joys of collaboration and community. I was very fortunate to be able to work with a lot of Caymanian talent to make the project come together,” Miller said.
“It was great working with Swanky. I’ve been a part of the Swanky family for the past few years. We did a version of ‘Cayman Islands’ live once, and it inspired me to make a version that features the band.”
Miller said there’s an updated 2024 version of the song with a few “new bells and whistles”.
“The new version of ‘Cayman Islands’ features the Cayman traditional drum being played by Randy Chollette,” he explained, adding that the ‘Let Love Resonate’ track features audience members from a recent listening party.
“Like the saying goes, experience teaches wisdom, so as I grow in my music journey, I’m more confident in my music abilities and it is definitely reflected in this project.”
‘Let love resonate’
For anyone who listens to the EP, Miller said, “no matter their background, [they] will find a song on it for them”.
Most of all, “I want my Cayman people to listen to it and have something they can play and latch on to.”
“I think a feeling of love will resonate with them, pun intended!” he said, adding, “Everyone will get a feeling of love and gratitude. Love for country, love of self, love of their significant other, and just a love for life.”
Miller said there is no release date yet for ‘Resonate Love’, but when released, it will be available on all listening/streaming platforms. For more, check out beneilmiller.com.
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