Shane O appreciates reggae, acoustic music
At the age 11, Roshain McDonald ventured into a recording studio and voiced his first single, ‘School’.
The song breathed positive lyrics targeting youth of his time to stay focused on their studies. As Shane O, he has been categorised as a reggae and dancehall recording artiste, but for the most part the deejay has focused on rhythms of the latter genre.
“I have been taking music serious from even before I record my first song. Everybody from the Kingston 19 area or from Red Hills Road will tell you that from going to basic school, I always a sing or walk up and down ah deejay as a youth,” Shane O said.
The deejay has, however, expressed an interest in producing a reggae album after his current 11-track project is complete later this year.
Shane O has hinted that fans will hear a different side and style of recording.
“(It will be) Something different, maybe rap on one of the tracks and me ah give them (the fans) ah one drop song, for the album. Every day I am singing over the beat just to catch the one drop style,” he said.
His recent releases, Last Days, Take It Tell Me and Partner Draw have a flow that could easily be re-recorded on a reggae rhythm if he wanted.
He said listeners would not be disappointed with a reggae album from him.
“I think I can do well with a reggae album because the genre is about feelings; I sing with feelings, so you can see what I am dealing with,” he said.
Although Shane O does not name any veteran reggae artiste as inspiration, he does single out Blood Money singer, Protoje, as one of the contemporary voices that he has tuned in recent times.
He even admitted: “I don’t really listen to reggae artistes.”
The Last Days deejay also expressed that for live performances, he prefers to be accompanied by a band. He says that the dancehall tracks have a tendency to sound dead and may kill the vibes.
Shane O said he is looking forward to performing at Reggae Sumfest, and is all the more eager to rehearse for the set where he will be backed by a live band.