Wayne Wonder advises artistes to do ‘hard road work’
One of the artistes who helped put dancehall music on the American radar 30 years ago, Wayne Wonder, believes that the genre has moved with the times.
He added that, for Jamaican acts to duplicate his success and the success of his contemporaries, it will take more than a social media presence.
“It’s [dancehall] evolved so much since the ‘90s, and still evolving. But to break a Jamaican hit song in the US and Europe, you have to physically put in some hard road work. As Shaggy would say, ‘do the rounds’,” Wayne Wonder advised.
During the 1990s, Wayne Wonder had a number of hit singles such as Saddest Day,
Movie Star [with Buju Banton], Joy Ride and Bashment Girl.
His biggest hit came in 2002 with
No Letting Go, which was on the popular Diwali rhythm, which entered the pop charts in the US and United Kingdom.
Wayne Wonder points to the meticulous approach of producers like Donovan Germain, Dave Kelly and Stephen ‘Lenky’ Marsden for 1990s dancehall attracting executives from American major labels. He said that it is those songs that keep him on the road.
“I give thanks to know that after all these years I’m super busy, and it proves that my music stood the test of time. They [fans] appreciate the work that I put in over the years and [I] still can represent as the music continues to evolve,” he said.
Wayne Wonder is scheduled to perform at Reggae Sumfest on July 23 in a segment dedicated to Kelly’s Madhouse Records. Dancehall superstars Cham, Beenie Man and Bounty Killer are also part of that tribute.