Interview with: Blackout JA

Can You Please tell us about your youth in Jamaica?

- I WAS BORN N JAMAICA IN A PARISH CALLED PORTLAND,WE HAD A VERY STRONG COMMUNITY,MUSIC AS ALWAYS PLAYED A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN MY COMMUNITY,IT WAS WHAT WE USE TO HEAL OUR WOUNDS CAUSED BY OPPRESSION FROM THE SYSTEM,THE SYSTEM WAS NOT FOR US EVEN AS A YOUTH I KNEW THAT..THE ONLY GOOD SYSTEM WAS THE SOUND SYSTEM,GROWING UP IN JAMAICA AS A YOUTH WAS SOME OF THE BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE...AS MY COMMUNITY WAS UNITED THE ELDERS WOULD TEACH THE YOUNGSTERS AND THE YOUNGSTERS WOULD LEARN AND SHOW RESPECT WE WHERE A COMMUNITY TOGETHER OS ONE FAMILY.

How did you'r adventure with music started?

- MY ADVENTURE WITH MUSIC STARTED AT A VERY YOUNG AGE MY FATHER PLAYED A SOUND SYSTEM CALLED UNIVERSE,I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A FAN OF THE DANCE-HALL,I REMEMBER WHILE LIVING WITH MY GREAT GRAND MOTHER AND GREAT GRAND AUNT THERE WAS A SESSION CLOSE BY MY HOUSE I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO THESE SESSIONS BECAUSE IN THOSE DAYS REGGAE MUSIC WAS NOT IDOLISED BY THE SO CALLED UPPER CLASS THE SOUND SYSTEM CULTURE WAS NOT ACCEPTED (YET) AND BECAUSE MY GREAT GRANDS WHERE CHRISTIANS AND COULD NOT SEE BEYOND WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO THEM I WAS FORBIDDEN TO EVEN LOOK IN THAT DIRECTION,ON THE WAY ATTENDING A PRAYER MEETING WITH MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER I STOPPED FOR A MINUET AT A DANCHALL SESSION AND COULD NOT LEAVE I WAS TOTALLY CAPTIVATED PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY THAT WAS HOW MY MUSICAL ADVENTURE STARTED.

What was it like for you to start in music industry?

WHEN I STARTED IT WAS NOT AN EASY ROAD,A LOT OF LATE NIGHTS ON SOUND SYSTEM ,I HAD TO LEAVE MY COMMUNITY AT A VERY YOUNG AGE SEEKING A CAREER IN MUSIC I WENT AND LIVE IN KINGSTON THOSE WHERE RUFF DAYS YOU HAD TO BE STRONG MENTALLY SPIRITUALLY PHYSICALLY, LOT OF WAKING LONG DISTANCE TO STUDIO FROM TUFF GONG TO RECORD FACTORY,TO MIXING LAB TO KILLAMAN JARO TO MAIN STREET TO SCORPIO TO ARROWS TO CASTRO BROWN STUDIO (NEW NAME) THEN TO SKATE LAND IN THE EVENING WHERE ALL THE STARS MET..IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE WE WHERE ENCOURAGED BY A LOT OF REGGAE STARS DENNIS BROWN (who was a great friend) BUNNY WAILER (jah B) BUNNY DIAMOND (FROM THE MIGHTY DIAMOND),LUCIANO,LEROY SMART BIG YUTE ..AT SKATE LAND IN HALF WAY THREE, THAT WAS WHERE I MET SKY HIGH WHICH I DID MY FIRST ALBUM I WAS LATER SIGNED TO NEW NAME LABEL..THE SUPREME PROMOTIONS (STING)

What values are most important for you in music?

-MY VALUES IN MUSIC IS ALL ABOUT LIBERATION ,RIGHTEOUSNESS,HONESTY, AND LINKING THE HISTORICAL VALUES AND REMINDING PEOPLE WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY MUST DO ...TO OVER COME OPPRESSION IN THIS TIME

What musicians and artists influenced you most in your life?

- I WAS INFLUENCED BY A LOT OF ARTIST NOT ONLY REGGAE ARTIST ,I AM A LOVER OF GREAT MUSIC ..MUSIC ALONE SHALL LIVE NEVER SHALL DIE

Please tell us about how you got in touch with Mesajah and about the song you recorded together.

-I WAS DOING A SHOW AND WAS INTRODUCED TO MESAJAH BY A GOOD FRIEND RAFAL ANTONE ANTONOWSKI AND WE JUST HAD A MUSICAL CONNECTION...I REMEMBER WE WHERE IN THE STUDIO WITH THE CREW AND HE HAD THE SONG AND PLAYED IT TO ME AND I LIKED THE TOPIC AND HOW IT CAME ACROSS, IT WAS A SPIRITUAL VIBE..HISTORICAL MOMENT

What do you like about working with other musicians around the world?

-I LIKE WORKING WITH OTHER MUSICIANS BECAUSE EVERY ONE HAVE A STORY TO BE TOLD AND WE HAVE DIFFERENT CULTURES BUT ITS THE SAME CRY IN A DIFFERENT FASHION..AND WHEN WE CRY TOGETHER AND DANCE TOGETHER WE OVER COME ANYTHING

What are you'r inspirations when it comes to songwriting?

- MY INSPIRATIONS COMES FROM DAILY LIFE THINGS I SEE THINGS I HEAR CURRANT AFFAIRS .. ALL INSPIRATIONS COMES FROM THE CREATOR

Do you ever experience writers block? If you do, what do you do to get over it?

- I NEVER EXPERIENCE WRITERS BLOCK THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE SAID THERE IS ALWAYS A VOICE CRYING OUT TO BE HERD THE INSTRUMENTS WILL SPEAK TO YOU LIKE THE ANCESTORS DO WHAT IS TO BE MUST BE...

What is your opinnion on online music sharing? Do you ever give out your music for free? if you do, why?

- THERE IS GOOD AND BAD IN THIS, THE SALE OF MUSIC IS DOWN SO THERE WILL BE LESS FOOD OR NO FOOD FOR SOME ONE ..BUT ON THE OTHER HAND THIS IS GOOD FOR EXPOSURE OF ARTISTS WHO FOR YEARS AS BEEN HELD DOWN BY THOSE WHO CALLED THEM SELVES PRODUCERS AND RECORD COMPANYS, THE ARTIST NOW CAN PROMOTE THERE OWN MATERIALS WITH OUT BEING STOPPED ...AND I DO GIVE OUT SOME OF MY MATERIALS FOR PROMOTIONS..NUFF

Whats coming up for you? What are you working on now and where do you feel your music is headed?

- I DO A LOT OF RECORDING I AM ALWAYS IN THE STUDIO THERE IS AN ALBUM JUST COMPLETED WITH ME BLACKOUT JA AND DREAD SQUAD (marek bogdanski) 1 AM REALLY LOOKING FOREWORD FOR THE RELEASE, AS I THINK ITS GOING TO BE A HUGE ALBUM.. HISTORICAL..AND OTHER RELEASE ON THE HI POWER LABEL.. BALTIMORE REVOLUTION WHICH IS GOING TO BE A BIG ONE ...BIG RASPECK TO GENERAL LEE MANAGEMENT... DI TING TUN UP LOUD...

What advice would you give to young musicians reading this article?

- AND TO ALL YOUNG UPCOMING ARTIST BE TRUE TO THE MUSIC DO IT FOR THE LOVE, MUSIC IS A SPIRITUAL THING USE IT TO UPLIFT AND LIBERATE ...WORK HARD DON'T GIVE UP

I would really like to thank you for talking with me. I wish you all the best and remember that you are welcome in Sligo anytime!

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