BEING an only child — and a daughter at that — Stephanie Kalloo had to fight for her dream of becoming a singer and dancer.

Kalloo had to convince her parents that their little girl would be perfectly safe and that she could handle herself in the jungle that is the local soca and performance industry.

Now 25, Kalloo has performed to rave reviews at most of the country's top entertainment spots over the past year and a half and as the accolades roll in, her parents have started to come around.

"They are actually very supportive now," said the native of Caroni in Central Trinidad.

"I think seeing me happy and focused has helped."

Kalloo has been seen at venues like Prive in South Trinidad, J Malone's, House of Angostura, Hilton and Woodford Cafe.

"A special thanks to Benny Hatem of Woodford Cafe, who makes an effort to feature a local act every week," Kalloo said, adding that she is also known to perform at a wedding or two.

Primarily a solo artiste, Kalloo mostly writes her own songs and with a background in belly-dancing, has worked out a mesmerising routine that takes 'wining' to a different, more sophisticated level.

"Belly-dancing is something you can't get out of your system," Kalloo explains.

She boasts a "fusion sound" that brings together soca, dance and pop — sometimes with a tinge of reggae thrown in — and will give the crowd a few covers for good measure.

"I prefer my own stuff though, so that's mostly what I do," Kalloo said.

"I'm very into the Caribbean sound, that mix that is just unmistakable no matter where you go in the world. So far, thankfully, I have received only positive reviews from my audiences."

Like many artistes, Kalloo had her vocal talent discovered in the school choir.

By age 12, she was writing her own songs and experimenting with style.

"By then I knew exactly what I wanted to be," she recalled.

"I knew I had to be a performer. I also knew it would be hard and it has been, to a large extent. No matter how many popular female artistes there are on the local scene, it's always more difficult for a woman to break into that clique.

"Look how many women there are on the soca stage right now and still, very few promoters will take a chance on an all-woman show. In fact, someone is more likely to invest in a foreign act than to put faith in an all-female show."

Having made a decision to dabble in soca in 2012, Kalloo had to steel herself for a tough turn.

"I had to prepare myself emotionally and spiritually, knowing that this was going to be very difficult and that maybe not everything will go my way every time I want it to," she said.

"It's a pity that women soca artistes don't get the respect that they deserve because they have so much to offer. When people talk about the men, they acknowledge each with their own respect and you will find that more than one male artiste can be seen as being at the top. With women, people always place them in a competition and it's one that can be at the top at a time. It's time for that to change and for diversity in talent to be embraced."

That said, Kalloo admitted that she is most inspired by Kees Dieffenthaller and his ability to reach all aspects of the population with his music.

"He's so versatile and he's not afraid to experiment," said Kalloo, who is her own manager.

"That's an admirable trait because the local audience can be very picky and you take a chance when you experiment."

Kalloo names Jamaican artiste Tessanne Chin, along with Colombian break-out star Shakira as among her current favourites. Earlier inspirations include Steve Nicks of the soft-rock band, Fleetwood Mac and Dolores O'Riordan of the Irish rock group, The Cranberries.

"As my own manager, I'm being tough with myself right now to get done," she said, but sent a special thanks to Josh Rudder for his guidance.

"I like having the most say in what my style should be and having the most creative input," she said.

Kalloo is an up-and-coming star to watch and can currently be seen on YouTube with the video for her song, "Dance the Night Away".

Kalloo, who opened for Kees the Band on December 21, 2011, is also set to collaborate with Marlon Asher after Carnival.

Her most recent release, "A Little Closer", can also be found on YOUtube and at http://www.reverbnation.com/StefKalloo.

Wants to get up close and personal with this budding star?

Then visit her Facebook fanpage by searching 'Stef Kalloo'.