Sit in on our chat with Chuck Fenda.
KNOWN FOR hits like I Swear, Poor People Cry, Gash Dem, and the Cherine Anderson duet Coming Over Tonight, reggaedancehall entertainer Chuck Fenda aka The Living Fire, aka the Poor People Defender, is in the spotlight this week. The Gleaner recently caught up with the entertainer, who spoke about upcoming projects, his musical inspirations, aspirations, and more.
1 What keeps you motivated to do music?
“Well yuh done know, when yuh look pon di suffering, with the people dem weh a struggle an a guh tru the hardship, we just have to put out the message out there through the music ... yuh know, its just a natural inspiration from the Most High and alot of inspiration coming out of the universe... I mean, song jus come to me... by mi guh a mi bed, a song jus come to mi, suh mi jus haffi put it out there.”
2 What changes would you like to see in the music industry?
“I an I would love to see a change in terms of a balance between reggae and dancehall, the two sectors getting their fair justice ... more support of the young artistes rising up because yuh done know, with more new faces coming in, yuh done know, the music guh to different heights. Wi would a love if even the Government strengthen the music as well.
3. How important is it for us as a people to celebrate Reggae and Black History Month?
“If you don’t know where you coming from, yuh cyaan know where you going. Suh when mi look back and see weh black people guh tru an our foreparents and ancestors from Africa who have been through the hardship, the sufferation and tribulation... Black History Month, wi haffi jus keep the flag high and know sey wi haffi represent. And reggae music a di heartbeat a di people. It bring a gathering, a togetherness, people dem inna one love and one unity ... Reggae mek so many people from all over the world can visit Jamaica fi come hol’ a irie vibes and hol’ a different meditation. Is a variety of niceness, yuh nuh, when it come to di reggae music.”
4 What are some of the current and upcoming projects that you are working on?
“We have completed a latest album called Concrete Jungle produced by Voiceful Record - Marvin of Red Hills Road. This album is a 15-track album . It have song with me and Morgan Heritage – the title track, Concrete Jungle. Yuh have a song with me and Etana – That Place. Yuh have a song with me and Sista Sasha – Natty
Dread ; and yuh have a song with me and a R&B singer out of Miami call SoMo. Suh wi a tek wi time and push it cause music a nuh rush ting.”
5. You have a recent song addressing crime and violence in Jamaica. What motivated you to pen this song? Jah Is Listening,
“The song is called and this is a powerful song on the crime situation right now wey a tek over the entire island ... not just Jamaica alone, even outside of Jamaica. Wi step pon crime and violence in high and low places and step pon certain wickedness.
Suh wi would love this song to go out to the four corners of the Earth right now suh the people can listen it and get back the place to a calm cause di yout dem a look outta demself, dem nah look inna dem self, when dem know sey great is within dem. Suh yuh know sey di devil loose out dey right now, suh wi haffi use the music fi reach to di people dem and reach to di yout dem fi mek dem know demself cause too much senseless killing, too much innocent blood a run. Wi haffi try put a stopage to dat. A we sey ‘Gash Dem and Light Dem’, a we dey pon di battlefield. A we out dey an see wa di people dem andi youts de mag u ht ru. Suh mi want a calm to the senseless killing. Black-on-black crime an all dem ting ya haffi guh stop. Zeen. More life and prosperity.”
“Reggae music, a di heartbeat a di people. It bring a gathering, a togetherness, people dem inna one love and one unity”