Jamaican and international singer/ songwriter turned philanthropist, Orville 'Shaggy' Burrell, who is also the 2009 Gleaner Honour Award winner for voluntary service. - photo by Barbara Ellington

In yesterday's Outlook, we looked at how internationally acclaimed singer/philanthropist, Orville 'Shaggy' Burrell, came to be the driving force behind the Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation and the Shaggy and Friends concert series. A Gleaner-sponsored event, the second concert to raise funds for the charity of choice, Bustamante Hospital for Children, will take place on January 2, at Jamaica House.

A host of top-line artistes will join headliner Shaggy on stage and give their time and talent for free, for the children. Each artiste will perform four songs, but those with a huge repertoire of music may have the opportunity to perform a medley of their popular hits.

In an exclusive interview with Shaggy on Saturday, November 21, he gave insights into how difficult it is for reggae artistes to make it big in the business, and also gave us a peek into his relationship with his parents and his own parenting style.

Right path

"I have sold 15 million records, but it was hard work. I was born in Rae Town, Kingston, so I know hard life. I later migrated to New York and lived in a pretty rough neighbourhood in Flatbush, where I saw many of my friends either die by the gun or end up in jail; so I could have chosen that path. I just decided not to," he said in response to my question about the content of some of the songs coming from today's artistes.

Against this background, Shaggy said the current Gully-Gaza controversy is everyone's responsibility. "What is the alternative? Robbery? Parents have a responsibility and the artistes do too because what we put out there is powerful and the young people respond to it, so we have to decide to unite around one brand - Jamaica," he said.

But the artiste also noted that many others, including himself, put out positive lyrics that do not get played. "When people are at a party and under the influence of alcohol, they just want to jump up and 'skin out', and it's the hardcore music that gives them the vibe for that," Shaggy said.

He further said we are at an age when sexuality is just 'in your face' and although he does not mind music with sexual content, he prefers if it is cleverly written. However, many of the artistes are colourful in their description of events and according to Shaggy, they are just doing what they have to do to survive.

Blanket censorship

"So, blame has to be shared across the board, and you can't do blanket censorship either. We just have to take the necessary steps to change violent content, but understand that the violence and gun shots are what these artistes see daily." He added that artistes who write lyrics from their realities can also programme themselves not to take that route.

But, will it sell? He thinks the future generation can be helped by mentorship from the more experienced people in the business, who will help steer the younger ones in positive directions.

Hard work

Getting to the top is hard work, he said, noting how appreciative he was of the time and talent donated by the artistes participating in the upcoming concert. "Artistes have long nights and get very tired; they have to be seen and they stand long hours waiting for a DJ in a club to see, acknowledge their presence and play their music.

"Sometimes, they go to four clubs a night," he said. Speaking passionately on the subject, Shaggy noted how difficult it is for reggae artistes to get noticed in an era when selling records is dying.

"Why should you buy a CD when you can download it free on the Internet? So, I applaud them when they come and give me time at Christmas."

But he also pointed to the stigma of crime, violence and homophobia that hampers some Jamaican artistes' efforts to get ahead internationally. These negatives, he said, prevent big companies from throwing their financial resources behind reggae artistes and music. "They would sooner throw all that behind artistes who are not so controversial."

Parenting

Throughout the interview, Shaggy, father of three children, ages 14, 12 and four, was paying full attention to his 'little princess', Sydney. Asked about his parenting style versus that of his parents, he smiled. He explained that his mother was a 'hard core' woman who did not stand for foolishness in him and although he has a different parenting style, he is still as hands-on as his busy schedule allows.

Like many Jamaican children born to single parents, Shaggy was not close to his dad, but today, they share a good relationship. The main things missing from his childhood are abundant in his children's, and those are hugs. "Our parents' generation was just not socialised that way; they didn't hug us, they were not touchy-feely, and we could even go through life without hearing the words, 'I love you' even though we knew they loved us," he said.

But Sydney and her brothers know daddy loves them. To make up for the long hours he spends on tours, he uses all the modern communication tools available. These include Skype, texts, telephones and emails. He told Flair that he believes in having an open relationship with his children, so they will feel free to communicate with him.

"I love being a dad; it's important to me and I am close to my sons 'big time'. I always know what's happening in their day. My older son is at the age when there are more than a few fights at school for a number of reasons, but I always know about them. I may not be able to attend meetings at school, but I stay connected. And sometimes I take them with me to the Bustamante Hospital for Children to see the sick children, so they know how fortunate they are," he said.

barbara.ellington@gleanerjm.com