Myaz makes it clear that for him, dancehall is not a beat, but a space, and Love You Higher is a dancehall song. So is Hooked On You, his new song which will be released in mid-September. "We have done the video and we are very excited," Myaz told The Sunday Gleaner. In addition, he says it has been getting good rotation on a number of radio stations.

live music

In the mid-1990s, when Myaz was recording Love You Higher, he says the digitised Steelie and Cleavie sound was closing out and live music was coming back to the forefront. Myaz chose to go with what was seeming to fade, rather than the sound that was apparently on the rise.

"I wanted to stay in the dancehall. I wanted to put the sound system vibe into it," Myaz said. He said that Time is another street hit that got a lot of play in the dancehall, while Show Your Love had a different feel.

He has put another influence into one mix of Hooked On You, as "I've been listening to a lot of dub in recent years". These include songs by Agustus Pablo, Sly and Robbie and Scientist. So he has done a 'radio bounce' of the song for the airwaves and a 'street bounce' for the sound systems.

"This particular mix is a reflection of where my mind was," Myaz said.

And his mind is not going back to what he could have done to make Love You Higher any better, as "I would not change Love You Higher for anything". Still, "there are things I could have sung better".

Myaz said he has learnt "to be bothered more by my expression than my notes. Some people are perfect, but have no feeling. I am still a perfect pitch person in my ears, but I have learnt to let go of that".

And then there are the fans, who will merrily sing along, feeling expression much more than note-perfect singing.

- Mel Cooke