Poetry Corner with Mount Zinai

POETRY Poetry Corner

My Locks

By Mount Zinai

My locks symbolise my identity, They are an extension of me, Just like the branches of a tree, My locks stand tall, as part of me, A source of strength, A source of pride and a story, simply look at their length, Many may scorn them, But I adore them, They symbolise resilience, And brilliance, When I enter a room, they announce my presence, A holy connection is embedded, within their essence, They connect me to my heritage and roots, They are unapologetic, they are my truth, Societies standards of beauty, Do not phase me, My head is held high, As the sun beams on my crown, from the beautiful sky.

INTERVIEW

THE FUTURE OF JAMAICAN MUSIC: MEET DAVID POWELL

Interview by Sinai Fleary

Introduce yourself for the Jus’ Jah Magazine readers.

My name is David Powell I’m also known by my nickname “Dai I”, which means beloved. I’m a proud 24-year-old Jamaican singersongwriter.

How long have you been singing?

I’ve been singing professionally for ten years now. My dad used to carry me to the studio at a young age and I was an active member in the high school choir. I was told back then to take my singing seriously. With that bit of advice, I launched the start of my career and started doing gigs since I was 11/12 years old.

Who are your main musical inspirations?

My musical inspirations are Dennis Brown, Romain Virgo, Chiristopher Martin and a lot of early Chronixx. I enjoy listening to a lot of conscious music. My father would listen to a lot of

Beres Hammond which shaped my musical preferences. My international musical influences are John Legend, Ne-Yo and

Alicia Keys. I admire them as great songwriters because they are masterful at playing instruments.

You also play the guitar, how long have you been playing?

I have been playing the guitar for about two years. It is a very interesting instrument. Are you a self-taught guitarist? Yes, I followed lessons on YouTube and taught myself to play. Have you noticed any benefits of playing the guitar, when it comes to your songwriting? Most definitely! It has helped unlock another part of my musical Photo Credit: Fostershots talent. It is such a great tool to figure out new melodies, ideas and is a great asset with my creativity as well. I would like to encourage any singer to learn an instrument. to. My dad would always sing this song called “God Nah Sleep”. I decided to write some more verses for it and to finish the song. I shared the completed version of the song with my father and he was pleased. Basically, my pops started the song and I just finished it.

How does your father feel about you pursuing a musical career?

He is very proud. Sometimes when I am singing and make a mistake, I will hear him shout from the other room “do that over again”. He is always listening to me practice. If I am playing my guitar, he will knock on the door and pull up a chair and sit down and listen to me play. He is very supportive and loves music very much. I can’t leave him out, he is an important part of my team.

What have you been up to during quarantine?

I am doing a lot of songwriting and practicing. I am presently enrolled in a short course in audio engineering. I also play the keyboard and the drums, which has helped occupy my time. I am pleased to say that I have invested in some studio equipment because I wanted to utilize this time wisely by being productive at home.

What inspired you to write your song “Life Hard Heights of Great Men”?

The idea came to me when I was in The Bahamas for a live performance show. I was staying in a very nice place and I began to think about my life back home and how different it was. I do love where I am from, but it does have some challenges and I began to reflect on my life thus birthing part of the song.

I had the track for a few years, but couldn’t find a song for it. My friend sent me a couple of lines and I took some lyrics from my other songs. But it still wasn’t finished. While in The Bahamas, my friend’s uncle (who was drunk at the time), said something that repeated in my head, he said “You have to stay true to your goal, have to keep that hunger in your soul” and that stuck with me because it was so powerful and it is a line in the song and the rest is history.

Tell us about your song “God Nah Sleep”.

Big up my pops, Wellington Powell! He was an aspiring singer and musician also, but he didn’t get to reach where he wanted

How would you describe your musical sound in four words?

Passionate, uplifting, youthful and love.

JUS’JAHmagazine | Winter 2020/21

I want to bring out these messages in my music.

What would you like to see change in Reggae and Dancehall?

I really appreciate the evolution of the music, but I would really like to see more improvement in the quality of some songs. My critique I think that is from my audio engineering studies, I can tell when a song hasn’t been properly mixed. For my song “Life Hard”, I was present in the studio and saw the process of how songs are mixed. Mixing “Life Hard” took four hours. I think the fast pace of life and the music business,

What are some of the things you are most proud of when it comes to Reggae and Dancehall music ?

I love how the influence of Reggae and Dancehall has given birth to new genres of music like Hip Hop and Reggaeton. A lot of people have paved the way for me, so I want to ensure I do my best.

What’s your plans for the rest of 2021?

I have a new song coming out called “Up Ful Now”. This song is about being thankful and showing gratitude. I plan to do my best and lay a solid foundation for my music career. Less I forget I am managed by a group of remarkable people. Big thanks to

Roael Entertainment for giving me an opportunity to pursue my dreams and for believing in me. They have been with me every step of the way! They have marketed me to the world and it is because of their relentlessness that I have been afforded the opportunity to share with Jus’ Jah Magazine today. Thank you Roael Entertainment you are golden.

What are your social media links? Instagram:

@Dai_ Imusic

Roael Entertainment

Instagram: @Roaelent Twitter: @Roaelent Facebook: Roael Entertainment