7 months ago
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When Surinamese singer Jah Nelson made a visit to Jamaica in March, his intention was to stay in the island for no longer than two weeks. Six weeks later, the Rastafarian entertainer is still here.
The singer-songwriter who hails from the Brokopondo district in Paramaribo, is actually no stranger to the island, having visited several times before, even “living in Smokeyvale” at one time. However, he shared that this visit has been extra special, as it has seen him performing reggae music live in Jamaica for the very first time. That was at the Kingston Night Market one month ago in front of a receptive audience.
“I feel good because reggae music ... and the best reggae music ... come from outta Jamaica, and to be here performing .... it feels good,” an excited Jah Nelson told The Gleaner after his performance.
He added, “Suriname people love reggae music. We follow Jamaica. The rest of the countries from the Caribbean follow Jamaica ... so we love reggae music and dancehall.”
Jah Nelson, for whom English is not his mother tongue, sometimes uses a translator to get his message fully across. He shared that he also performs kaseko, the music of Suriname, “and I have performed that onstage many times, but this is the first time I am performing reggae” in its birthplace.
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“But I listen to reggae music a lot. I strated out listening to Bob Marley, Garnet Silk, Beres Hammond, Buju Banton, Peter Tosh and Lucky Dube ... and now I have out an album named Jah Soldier. It was released in 2022,” he explained.
Focused on message music, Jah Nelson is hoping that his singles, Name of Jah, Africa and How Long, will make a dent in the market. He has also done a collaboration with Jamaican artiste Jah Thunder during his stay in the island. Titled Jah Know, the song’s message is focused on stopping the violence and putting down the guns.
He explained that although he and his team were “here to check out possibilities” rather than do actual work, this opportunity came along and they decided to make the best use of it.
According to his bio, Jah Nelson, who was christened Agita Nel, was encouraged by his grandfather started singing kaseko at the age of seven. He and other family members formed the Kaseko band in 1998 and he remained a part of the outfit for four years, until reggae music came calling and he immersed himself in the roots of the music, performing with a group called Jah Feeling.
“With Jah Feeling, I really started making reggae music. At that time we also performed at an international concert here in Suriname with a Jamaican reggae band. A gentleman named Guno Ravenberg came to me and said, ‘You have to go to Jamaica to make your music there. You will succeed for sure because you have talent.’ I took his advice,” Jah Nelson recalled.
From 2017, he started recording songs for his Jah Soldier album because, as he shared, “I am a soldier of Jah/God. I always want to help people solve their problems.”
English (US) ·