Gentleman - Ricardo Makyn/ Staff Photographer REGGAE HAS many ladies, but there is only one Gentleman.
The German reggae artiste is on yet another visit to Jamaica. It is his 15th or 16th trip, having first come to Jamaica at age 17, when he spent time in Lucea. However, this trip is special for Gentleman, as for the first time he will have a slated slot on a stage show.
The Gleaner caught up with him in his Kingston hotel suite, recently. Appearing to be the embodiment of relaxation, he welcomes us into his temporary abode. His outfit shorts and a merino are as relaxed as his mannerisms. We go to sit on the patio, to catch the little breeze and escape the sweltering morning heat and, not surprisingly, Gentleman lounges throughout the interview.
Gentleman is no small fry in Germany, as he is one of the top-selling reggae artistes there. But here it is the locals who set the pace and though Gentleman has done several collaborations with Jamaican artistes he is far from becoming a household name on this front.
As such, he is quite excited about his appearance on 'Dance All Rock' in St. Elizabeth this weekend. "Mi naah fi hustle fi di mic," Gentleman says with a laugh. He noted that he has performed in Jamaica before, but always as a part of somebody else's set. He admits to the importance of the opportunity in cementing his career. "If you get the feedback here you get it anywhere in the world," he says.
SPEAKS JAMAICAN
CREOLE PROFICIENTLY
With the growth of reggae in Germany, Gentleman is only one of many German reggae artistes. However, he is one of the few to speak Jamaican Creole proficiently. He explains that most of his grasp of the language came through his exposure to reggae and he simply gravitated to it. "When you love something the learning happens automatically," he says matter-of-factly.
On first listen, Gentleman's accent sounds very Jamaican. Not once does a no problem mon escape from his lips. When you listen closely, however, a trace of a less discernable accent creeps in on some words. "I jus' don' like 'ow German soun' in music," Gentleman says. "Mi love patois and mi love ow mi cyan express miself. It's a language straight from the heart," he continued.
His connections have grown to more than his love and creation of reggae. Gentleman now has family connections with the island, as his 'babymodda', whom he met in Germany, is Jamaican.
Along with his performance at Dance All Rock, Gentleman is also in the island to record his third and as yet unnamed - album. The last album was Journey to Jah, a mixture of roots reggae and dancehall. A live version of Journey to Jah was released recently. Explaining that to him reggae is a 'heartbeat', Gentleman notes that the upcoming album he intends to use live instruments in the recording.
Gentleman says that his love for reggae comes out of what it means to him. "When yuh mek music yuh don't worry about the past or di future," he said. "I jus' found a way to express weh mi believe in Jah," he says. Interestingly, Gentleman is the child of a Lutheran preacher. He noted that while he used to attend church regularly when he was younger he was not able to find 'Jah' there.
Although he expects to have collaborations with Jamaican artistes on this project, who they will be with has not been decided. "One thing you cannot do when you go to Jamaica to work on an album is have a plan," he says.
"It's a vibe thing."
So far, the 'vibe' has allowed him to work with Bounty Killer, Jack Raddicks and Luciano. Interestingly, he lists Luciano among his influences in reggae, along with Dennis Brown, Garnett Silk and Capleton.
Whatever the right 'vibrations' may bring, Gentleman is confident in his music. "Mi naah try fi expec' anyting, but di music ready a ready," he says with a smile.
