- WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley at the launch of 'Welcome to Jamrock' in September.
Kavelle Anglin-Christie, Staff Reporter
YOU WILL find the best of both worlds in Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley, in more ways than one.
Since Damian's advent into mainstream dancehall with Half-Way Tree in 2001, his audience found a man who is the fusion of upper and lower class Jamaica, able to clasp the suffering of the grass roots and pour it into his music.
A Grammy later things have not changed and his sophomore album, Welcome To Jamrock, proves that.
Not many 27-year-olds have his lyrical maturity and can boast his musical achievements. But Damian never seems interested in bragging about his awards. Instead, he prefers to talk about issues of national significance, other artistes and family.
During a recent interview with The Sunday Gleaner, he had few words about the success of his Welcome To Jamrock. "It's going great, I can't complain," Marley said.
TOPPING THE CHARTS
When asked about the charts it has topped, he said "The Billboards in the first week of its release and some R&B charts; a lot of them. I don't really keep up."
The title track was the first single to be released from the album and received unwelcome response from those who believed Marley highlighted Jamaica negatively. Subsequently, the song won a number of awards, including the 'Boomshot Award' at the Vibe Awards in November.
"I showed that part (of Jamaica) because that's what the song was about. Over the years my family is a family that speaks out against injustice and speak out for people in the struggle; people who feel voiceless," Marley said.
"Nowhere in Jamaica is far. Some people say you grow uptown, but you can't seclude yourself from the rest of the world that you don't know what's going on in today's society. You can turn on TV and see what's going on in Afghanistan, let alone to know what's going on in your own country. Everyone knows what's going on in Jamaica. But I'm not saying that's all there is to Jamaica. This is one song that represents one side of Jamaica. We have other songs on the album that represent other sides too, but those songs are not as popular."
MISINTERPRETED MOODS
There are many moods on the Welcome to Jamrock, and some of the songs can be misinterpreted, but Marley does not think that some of the messages are contradictory. "If you read the Bible, look at Moses. He was a great leader for righteousness and moral values. But at the same time he was a great warrior. We live in an environment where one will have to protect oneself against violence because violence exists. It is not because we want to be violent, but because if you don't protect yourself you will fall victim," he said.
"And a lot of the lyrics sometimes is a metaphor when we talk about 'two guns we a buss innah stereo' is music and sounds we ah talk about, versus physical gun a buss it," he said.
"I release songs in Jamaica every year and for one (Welcome To Jamrock) to touch people in a way that they feel they have to write the newspapers to speak about it, that means say that's good because you're reaching people," he said.
There have been take-offs, with American rap artiste Lil' Kim doing Welcome to Brooklyn and Jamaican Supa Hype's comical Welcome to Norbrook. Marley says he is honoured and it shows the strides dancehall is making in the world market.
BORROWING FROM REGGAE
"If it wasn't a song that they were feeling and loving they wouldn't do it. When Lil' Kim, a big hip hop American artiste, have to borrow from our music that shows that our music is reaching out there, so it's a good sign," he said.
That progress goes beyond his album and Damian says he is proud of his fellow Jamaican entertainers, such as Sean Paul and Shaggy, who also have newly-released albums.
"Yeah, I got their albums. They are two good artistes, although the Shaggy album should have got some more exposure. It's good that a couple of us out there in the international marketplace. It's good to know that there isn't only one good reggae artiste out there, whether it's a Shabba, Sean Paul or Shaggy," he said.
He has received requests from overseas artistes to do collaborations, saying "a few have approached me ennuh, but nothing to the level yet that I would like to say it."
TIME FOR SILINGS
And Damian still finds time to work on projects with his siblings: "Steven is putting some finishing touches on his album and Ky-Mani is also working on his, so we ah do some work with them too," Jr. Gong said.
Marley recently released another single from Welcome To Jamrock, Road to Zion, which has similar sentiments to Welcome to Jamrock. It features Nas. Marley says releasing Road to Zion as the second single was his choice. "I feel like it bridge Jamrock and (it) being the first single, I didn't want to come with something that was far away from the feeling of Jamrock," he said.
But he is not taking any credit for changing the face of dancehall and reggae music.
"I've made a contribution, just like all other artistes, because everyone has a contribution to make and I'm making mine also. It's just because I offer my difference, and that's what's special about me, and that is what my input to dancehall is," he said.
