André Jebbinson, Staff Reporter

DJ Powerman - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Michael Davey, a.ka. Powerman, surged to the top of the charts in 1991 with his hit song Stone. All the promises of an illustrious career were ahead, as he would go on to record other hits such as Slim and Trim, Serious Tings and Miss Kill and Bury. But with competition arising at a rapid rate Powerman fell below the radar. Years have passed without much from Powerman, but he sat down with The Sunday Gleaner to relive his glory days and map out his plan for the future.

Sunday Gleaner: Where did you get your stage name?

Powerman: From I was a tender age I had a powerful voice. I was the first little boy DJ. Dem time people never tink boy can deejay. They use to think you have to be ugly and ruff to deejay.

When did you get your break?

At a very tender age at school mi a give joke and dem woulda pay mi. Den anything whe a keep inna di school, dem would a seh ‘mek him go miss’. Dem always choose me. From me lef school mi start hang out a di studio dem. I am from Waterhouse and I use to hang out at King Jammys an suh. Di whole community come to me and seh mi haffi deejay.

What was the highest point of your career?

The highest point would be when I did a song called Stone in 1991. It was the biggest song in Jamaica at that time. I went to Canada and it was the biggest tune there. I had songs before that, but Stone shoot dem down.

What is one thing you would change in the Jamaican music industry?

Me woulda love to see de entertainer dem and di selector dem come together as one. Mi woulda like di artiste dem stop ask fi di war fi create a buzz or a stir. But is di people dem that make it that way.

What is the status of your career?

To some people me buss and some people nuh know me. To some people mi a old artiste, but me feel like di world nuh get fi see Powerman yet.

Compare Powerman in the early ’90s to the Powerman today.

Me at a point where mi understand the music more. Mi feel like it easier fi me now.

Do you feel forgotten?

No yuh nuh. Dem nuh forget, because anywhere di stage show dem deh me mek miself available and mi do mi ting. When people ask about you, and dem a ask about me right now, dem don’t forget you. You a big artiste when people ask about you.

How do you explain your absence from the scene?

Di business get more competitive and now you have to compete wid all selector. Dem a sing song and make it even tougher, because you a compete wid fi dem song. Right now dem a try buss fi dem self. When you give dem about 30 songs, dem narrowit down to about five or six. Is not Powerman alone people naah hear. Nuff other artiste naah get no play because everybody a sing now.

Where did you get inspiration for you songs?

Nuff a dem come offa inspiration. When you go inna di dance and see weh dem a duh, you sing bout in. A cool girls a cool down now. Inna my time, you si girls pan dem head a wine, yuh seh jeesam. Girl a call me, dat a natural thing. One day mi phone just a ring off and every time mi look is a foreign call. Somebody a call me from Canada, from England and America. So mi look an seh a suh mi big?

Is there any artiste that you look up to?

Shabba Ranks is my artiste straight up ... Capleton buss about two years before me and im still a gwaan, nobody can’t lick him off.