Tess Charles

Born on the Capital Isle of Grand Turk TCI, Chrystal “TESS” Charles is a product of Turks & Caicos, Jamaican, and Vincentian Heritage, and still makes her home in Turks. Her stage name carries special meaning, as it stands for the acronym Tell Someone Something, a phrase made popular by local residents who urged the public to share information with the police following the killing of 25 year old Kaziah Burke in 2013.
Chrystal uses the name as a reminder.

With 10 years of experience and a degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management, and helping to produce local jazz festivals, Tess was a shoe-in as a hotelier but had a calling she could no longer ignore—Music.

Her repertoire includes all genres of music ranging from Jazz to Pop to Reggae, Soca, and R&B. While she croons the works of Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald, TESS’s originals are inspired by her island influences. Tess has been featured in 2015 Summer Issue of Turks and Caicos Magazine and the 2016 Summer Edition of Karib Magazine. She released her self written Soca/Rip Saw track “Daa’n My Business” on the “Grace Bay Riddim", produced by Jovano “Stutters” Robinson (Native of Middle Caicos, TCI).

Since 2015, TESS has held residencies at multiple 5 stars resorts, headlined galas and local events, represented the Turks and Caicos Islands in New York for Caribbean Tourism Week, performed in MIA, Bahamas, and Dominican Republic, Executive Produced multiple shows like Moonlit Jazz, Love Jones and The Concert Series. She was the host of Good Morning Turks and Caicos—a nationally televised morning show, a member of the association that produced Perform On Point (POP)—a singing competition that makes charitable donations to local schools, and held the Secretary post in the Musicians of the Turks and Caicos Association (MOTTAC) from 2019 to 2023 and co-produced their first show in October 2019.

In 2023, TESS partnered with The Department of Mental Health and shared her story of sexual and alcohol abuse and encouraged persons to see their worth and work towards their healing as she has and continues to do. The ultimate achievement for TESS is to assist in empowering all people of the Turks and Caicos and beyond to be their authentic selves, revel in freedom of expression and to insist that your passion can pay your bills, if you are willing to go the distance.

CURRENT OLIVIA TRIPS