21 October,2016 10:01 AM IST | | Joanna Lobo
Ahead of his three-city tour, Shaggy talks about reinventing himself, his military stint, and returning to India after 12 years
Shaggy's idea of unwinding is watching movies on Netflix with his daughters. Pic courtesy/Rayon Richards
Shaggy aka Orville Richard Burrell, is a ghetto superstar. The Jamaican-born singer was responsible for taking Reggae music mainstream with hits like his debut Oh Carolina (a Dancehall cover of The Folkes Brothers' song), In The Summertime, It Wasn't Me and Angel.
The Grammy Award-winning Reggae artiste last performed in India in 2004. This weekend, he returns for a three-city tour.
Excerpts from an interview:
What are you looking forward to doing in India?
I'm here for three shows, and during the time, I will also be there during my birthday [October 22]. So, I'm planning on doing a bit of sightseeing and soaking up as much of the culture as I can.
What can we expect from your tour?
It's going to be an energetic show. Obviously, we have a lot of hits in our catalogue. We will be doing a lot of big hits along with some new stuff. It's hard to pick favourites. What counts is the smiles on people's faces.
Oh Carolina ( 1993) made you a household name. How has your music evolved since then?
I would like to think that I've evolved. I've seen music grow and we're on another path right now with That Love. We're just continuing to make great music that comes from the heart. As long as we continue to entertain and keep ourselves relevant, we're on the right path.
How have you sustained your career at a time when artistes emerge and disappear in a flash?
I'll be the first person to be bored with me. It's all about not overstaying your welcome, and reinvention. I reinvent because I don't want to be bored with what I do.
How has music, particularly Reggae, changed since you started out?
I think it's a lot less musical these days. There's a lot of Electronic music compared to traditional musical instrumentation. Hopefully, we will see the return of the singer/songwriter. Music has to pass cycles; we have to hang on to its coat-tails and enjoy the ride.
Your song, Soldiers Story touched upon your time as a marine in Iraq. How has being in the military influenced you?
I learn a lot being in the military - to be on time and stay determined. My work ethic comes from it. I met a lot of great people and did a lot of growing up.
Tell us about your forthcoming album.
It is called Mr Luva. It's an album full of long tracks. One factor that doesn't get old is relationships and having that butterfly feeling in your stomach when you think of or see the person you love. This album celebrates that.
You are active on social media. How do you think it has changed the way fans interact with you?
Social media puts you in direct interaction with the fans. It's a way to know what your fans are thinking and have them follow you and to buy into the artist. It has changed the entire scope of music.
What's the weirdest DM or message you have recieved?
My DM is people asking me for advice, put them onto the music business and make records with them. People also ask me to do some sort of charity work because of my charity affiliation [Make A Difference Foundation]. It's hard to get involved into that because of so many scams these days. I've had ridiculous things asked: people ask me to pay their whole hospital bill or come up with money to fly them places.
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