Beres is serving his musical sentence

Humble. Beres Hammond, with a professional background of 30 years in the local music industry is the epitome of humility.

When we met with him two weeks ago at his St. Andrew hideaway and he spoke of the musical role models he had, we neglected to tell him about the dozens of artistes today who have named him as their favourite singer. From Devonte to Sizzla, he is admired and has inspired many. We are sure though, from our 90-minute chat, that this potent fact would not faze him.

He describes himself as a prisoner of the music he so loves and lives every day. So starting today and for the rest of this week, alternating in The Gleaner and The Star, we will step inside Hammond's cell to learn more about this quiet reggae legend who has warped through three decades to remain relevant and do Jamaican music his way.

It's mid-morning on a Thursday. Beres Hammond comes out of his home onto his car porch in khaki slacks, slippers and a yellow T-Shirt - and, of course, his trademark cap. He sits, crosses his legs and in an obvious zone of comfort and candour starts to answer the questions.... Today, Beres tells how it started.

Q: How did you get into the music
business?

A: More like the music business get into me (chuckle). Fi real you know. Cause --umm, let me see now; I have never done another job in my life. Since I was a kid I was always busy in that kind of business; performing at concerts in schools, church, all dem kinda thing, so I suppose that is where it actually started. And I don't know who did discover sey I coulda sing anyway. I just found myself doing it. In the Jamaican music business anyway, I must have started out in the very early to mid 70s on amateur shows. And the amateur shows at the time was a series called the Merritone Amateur Talent Series. That is where I really got serious in this business.

I remember back in them times you had people like Harold Butler, who was regarded as a genius at the time. And then you had people like Cynthia Schloss. These are the people that I came and saw coming out of the same series; Mighty Diamonds and Jacob Miller quite a bit you know, quite a bit. Rudy Thomas -- you had quite a bit of them. And then I did my first one. After that I don't know what took over my life. I found myself in the business just by that one show.

Q: Where was that?

A: This was in Half-Way Tree. There was a club called VIP in Half-Way Tree.

Q. What's there now?

A: I think there is a bank there now ­ CIBC I think. And as I say after that me just get stuck, me start me life sentence --

Q: You started your
life sentence!?

A: Yeah man. It was really rough. It was really rough during dem times, that is why me call it life sentence. And presently now, me a whey dem call in a de prison, me a whey dem call now--orderly (I chuckle and he breaks into a hearty laugh). Yeah me can give little instructions now.

Q: How old were you when you started?

A: Pretty young man, because I actually did my first performance when I was about 11 to 12 years old. But that is before I came to the amateur shows.

Q: But you did a recording before --

A: Yeah, fi Clancy Eccles, a song called Wanderer. A me did write it too, you know. From dem time dey me a write -- a gwaan with me little foolishness, you know.

Q: How did that song do?

A: Well when I recorded it I was really really excited 'bout even going into studio and hearing back my voice over the speakers and all dem ting and you go home and tell all you friends dem 'bout dis recording whey you do and ting, you feel big. But the guy let me down, because him never release it.

Q. Really? To this day?

A: Well him release now after me start making a name for myself seriously. This was in the 90s when he actually released it.

Q: After what? Twenty --

A: It could have been around 20 years or something like that. I saw it on a compilation album. Listen to it now it no sound nowhere near Beres (he chuckled), but you could a hear traits of something that was meant to be alright, you know, the voice yeah (he laughs and strokes his beard thoughtfully)--. interesting (more laughter). If you should hear the song still, you know.

Q: You never kept a copy for yourself?

A: I actually had a copy for myself but mi nuh know whey it dey. Somebody must be move it.

Q: How much do you think you have grown since then?

A: A lot. A lot. Every year I grow. Yeah man, learn things. Every day you learn things inna the business.

Q: Like what?

A: Not just vocally, but business wise. You know, me is a youth whey love measure myself you know, measure myself in terms of production and how far one reach. You know, like last year I tell myself that next year I am not supposed to be at the same position; position in terms of growth. I must have something more. So mi grow. And still growing. Don't watch mi height (chuckle) you know.

Q: How tall are you?

A: Five foot nine, five foot nine and one little pinch.

Q: Who were, or who are, your greatest role models in life?

A: I don't know if you should a call it role models. Well I suppose you can call it that, because role models were forced upon me. In that, I mean I never I had a choice as to who to listen to as in singers or musicians. Remember you know Jamaica is a colonial sort of set-up where even in the music you know certain people during dem times dey when I was coming up decided what was to be played.

And so the local music was played very minimal, you understand, so I was forced to listen to R&B most from England and America, those places. So it would be people like Stevie Wonder, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdink--ahm--Sam Cooke, Otis Redding - by the way, those last two Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, they were really my serious mentors in terms of voice, I just loved listen to them. I listen to mi little Doris Day - How Much Is Doggie In The Window and all dem little tune dey; Merry men from Barbados or down the islands where them come from; Mighty Sparrow, can't forget them people dey. I even listen to a lady called Miss Miller. I don't know if you ... (He breaks into song, Miss Miller style) "How gentle is the rain..." She tek everybody song and ... but her voice was just different. So even them people me used to listen to and thought that those were good singers.

Since I have been in the business, me hear some other voices whey hey, mek some of them old time voice look like joke. But back to your original question. Rhythm & Blues; the artistes that used to sing Rhythm & Blues they were sort of more my role models.

Q: And in a lot of ways you at that time sought to emulate them?

A: Yes man. Yeah man.

Q: Who you used to try to sound like?

A: Everybody. Everybody. And I did a good job at it too. Mi sing like everybody from man to woman. Mi sing Patti LaBelle tune at school and all dem ting dey and me get a small change. And every so often, when me bruk, mi could draw a tune and collect a ting. But then I say again my two main artistes were Otis Redding and Sam Cooke. But it doesn't mean that they were the best singers around. It's just that they had the kind of thing in the voices that I craved.

Q: And what exactly was that?

A: It's just a soul. You know, one raw kind of soul. You can hear a voice that not putting on anything, Just open dem mouth and the sing words and the words come out with pain; you know and you can feel them. I wish I could sing like that.

Q: You say 'wish', meaning you don't think you have achieved that?

A. Yeah man, me come into me own now. But back in dem times, gosh, them voices had to be God bless.

Tomorrow in The Gleaner, Beres talks about the talent he did not know he really had ­ songwriting ­ and how he creates his love songs.

Back to Showbiz