Post by kaya on Oct 16, 2005 11:18:00 GMT -5
GYPTIAN - Well-balanced and conscious
Entartainment
By Rachael Barrett Observer staff writer
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Stuck dodging potholes in a line of traffic slowly streaming across the Causeway en route to the dormitory community of Portmore, I wondered exactly who is this new extraordinary talent? Who is this man who uses the moniker Gyptian and what makes him so special among a plethora of new artistes?
Gyptian. me no feel swell headed or nothing but, me know people come to see me entertain so mi haffi entertain (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
"Well, me a just Windell Beneto Edwards still." In broad daylight he looks younger than I remembered and less intimidating without a microphone in his hand. Neatly dressed with a ready smile he radiates a certain dominant presence in the room.
"I come from a rural part of St Andrew called King Weston and lived with both sides of my family, mi mother and father and mi mother used to be strict with the discipline, but I'm glad for it still because if not things could have been different," Gyptian said.
Education was also a solid feature in his upbringing as he went to school. "From basic to high still, but I didn't get to graduate because [of] circumstances]," says the former student of Glengoffe High School in St Catherine.
Gyptian credits his parents with keeping him grounded as well as pushing him from singing solos at his mother's Adventist church to performing on stage.
He got his real introduction to the business of music at Mr Wong's studio in Portmore, in a converted house like many other small studios. A polite, businesslike and surprisingly not Chinese man, Mr Wong is credited with giving undiscovered young talent a chance to practise their craft in his small recording booth with the hope of making it big.
"Well from me was young they always knew I was going to be a star, me too, but I guess I just never knew exactly what type of star. Is my family introduce me to Mr Wong's studio, they always told me about it and tried to get me down here," a smiling Gyptian said.
"I used to sing in church, mostly solos still but I was always shy." Windell was also exposed to dancehall culture through his father's promotional activities. "My father used to be a promoter and he had a sound system called Feather Tone. I want to fix it up back and set it a road you know," he mused.
It was Mr Wong who oversaw Windell's progress as a vocalist and eventual transformation into Gyptian. "Well is not a matter of training right here, [it was] more grooming," he says referring to Mr Wong's unofficial schooling plan for young artistes.
"I used to just sing an sing and sing, and when you hear [where your] voice crack then you learn how fi control it more and more." His unusual stage name came just as easily as developing his talent.
"It was Mr Wong and Richie Bang and the others from the studio," he says describing those who were responsible for choosing the name 'Gyptian'.
"I said a Windell me a work wid, and everybody said no star. At that time I had a shirt [tied up] around my head and the hair twisted on my chin an ting so they said Egyptian man! The E was dropped in favour of the more spiritual I-Gyptian which was further reduced to Gyptian as the 'I' was deemed too Rasta sounding.
Born to a Rastafarian father and church-going Adventist mother, Gyptian is careful to not choose sides in matters of faith, "Well a Rasta juice in me still, is like a werewolf and a vampire have a pickney! But me know seh religion is just a system like the system we are in now and if you choose just one side trouble always mek!"
At the recent installation in the RE Unplugged concert series, Gyptian took the show from seasoned performers with twice as many hits in their portfolio. He claims that his stage presence is simply natural, along with his capabilities of commanding a crowd, whether or not they are familiar with his music.
"Me no feel swell-headed or nothing but, me know people come to see me entertain so mi haffi entertain. You can't hype on people, because they're the ones that pay them money and come to the stage show so you have to respect and love them."
Like many other cultural artistes, he is particular about the content of his music and prefers to sing his own lyrics."Any track at all you hear from Gyptian, a my finger and my head an everything!" Since [Serious Times - his debut single which is number one in Jamaica] people have started coming with songs [for me] but I don't think I'm gonna be able to sing [them]," he says thoughtfully, "Mi nuh know if it a go happen down the line still, but mi head fresh yah now, so mi a gwan do my ting... an music dat no hard fi write, you just have to think about what people think and feel an so think real tings dat people a go see."
Ironically Serious Times was already written and voiced by the time it came to him. Once it was decided that he should re-do the track Gyptian added the "on de corner" verse and altered the melody to make the song his own.
Gyptian will celebrate his 23rd birthday on the 25th of this month, sudden success has not appeared to temper his attitude towards life, "From a likkle ting a gwaan I'm glad. I hoped for it still and I just give thanks," he says, "I always remember that me is just Windell, sometimes when I all walk on the road people don't recognise me, and I am just a yute like everybody else. ..I'm not killing up myself to forward [my career], but it just a move forward.. if you change I don't think you're gonna, be the same man to write the same songs either."
Happy with where he is now and the path he is on, Windell leans back and smiles, "everything is just life you nuh, and me tell the people dem seh life fi balance."
ONE on ONE
RACHAEL BARRETT (RB) - What kind of music are you into?
GYPTIAN (GY) - Me is a man weh always go pon de old time style you know man like Leroy Sibbles, John Holt, Dennis Brown, Beres Hammond and others. Me will listen some a dem ting yah fi de whole day.. de real authentic sound, de beat and de flow of the music, you jus feel the power dem time.
RB - What about politics?
GY - Me never even vote from me know myself long time. Why put a man up in a chair, fi when him go up deh him a dash water pon you? (Laughs) Although I can understand dem sometime still, man have fi mek money for his family, so whateva a man do in life is just for survivial. Quickly making the jump from politics to violence he continues, "I wish the yutes would stop with the violence though. De energy it tek you to kill a man, tek di time and do something constructive. If you can build it up to go fight a man, why not do something constructive? But dem nah do dat.
RB - Any girlfriends? Wives? Kids?
GY - Mi have a one son still, he's four. But you know de girl ting kind of unbalanced...mi never know who is the right one since the majority of them {I hadn't known] before I bus.
RB - Has it been tough keeping in touch with old friends?
GY - Yes, because sometimes some a dem you can't get fi link dem, who no understand dat mi have to gi dem dat still. Tell them all the time because you badder dan mi then tump mi down.
RB - Any favourite TV shows?
GY - Ha, Da bredda! It soun a way still maybe, but mi mostly watch Spongebob.
RB - Favourite food?
GY -I an I man favourite food is dumpling you know? Boil, fry everyting. And then is pure chicken I eat still.
Check nice pic at Jamaica Observer
Taken from the Jamaica Observer
www.jamaicaobserver.com
Entartainment
By Rachael Barrett Observer staff writer
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Stuck dodging potholes in a line of traffic slowly streaming across the Causeway en route to the dormitory community of Portmore, I wondered exactly who is this new extraordinary talent? Who is this man who uses the moniker Gyptian and what makes him so special among a plethora of new artistes?
Gyptian. me no feel swell headed or nothing but, me know people come to see me entertain so mi haffi entertain (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
"Well, me a just Windell Beneto Edwards still." In broad daylight he looks younger than I remembered and less intimidating without a microphone in his hand. Neatly dressed with a ready smile he radiates a certain dominant presence in the room.
"I come from a rural part of St Andrew called King Weston and lived with both sides of my family, mi mother and father and mi mother used to be strict with the discipline, but I'm glad for it still because if not things could have been different," Gyptian said.
Education was also a solid feature in his upbringing as he went to school. "From basic to high still, but I didn't get to graduate because [of] circumstances]," says the former student of Glengoffe High School in St Catherine.
Gyptian credits his parents with keeping him grounded as well as pushing him from singing solos at his mother's Adventist church to performing on stage.
He got his real introduction to the business of music at Mr Wong's studio in Portmore, in a converted house like many other small studios. A polite, businesslike and surprisingly not Chinese man, Mr Wong is credited with giving undiscovered young talent a chance to practise their craft in his small recording booth with the hope of making it big.
"Well from me was young they always knew I was going to be a star, me too, but I guess I just never knew exactly what type of star. Is my family introduce me to Mr Wong's studio, they always told me about it and tried to get me down here," a smiling Gyptian said.
"I used to sing in church, mostly solos still but I was always shy." Windell was also exposed to dancehall culture through his father's promotional activities. "My father used to be a promoter and he had a sound system called Feather Tone. I want to fix it up back and set it a road you know," he mused.
It was Mr Wong who oversaw Windell's progress as a vocalist and eventual transformation into Gyptian. "Well is not a matter of training right here, [it was] more grooming," he says referring to Mr Wong's unofficial schooling plan for young artistes.
"I used to just sing an sing and sing, and when you hear [where your] voice crack then you learn how fi control it more and more." His unusual stage name came just as easily as developing his talent.
"It was Mr Wong and Richie Bang and the others from the studio," he says describing those who were responsible for choosing the name 'Gyptian'.
"I said a Windell me a work wid, and everybody said no star. At that time I had a shirt [tied up] around my head and the hair twisted on my chin an ting so they said Egyptian man! The E was dropped in favour of the more spiritual I-Gyptian which was further reduced to Gyptian as the 'I' was deemed too Rasta sounding.
Born to a Rastafarian father and church-going Adventist mother, Gyptian is careful to not choose sides in matters of faith, "Well a Rasta juice in me still, is like a werewolf and a vampire have a pickney! But me know seh religion is just a system like the system we are in now and if you choose just one side trouble always mek!"
At the recent installation in the RE Unplugged concert series, Gyptian took the show from seasoned performers with twice as many hits in their portfolio. He claims that his stage presence is simply natural, along with his capabilities of commanding a crowd, whether or not they are familiar with his music.
"Me no feel swell-headed or nothing but, me know people come to see me entertain so mi haffi entertain. You can't hype on people, because they're the ones that pay them money and come to the stage show so you have to respect and love them."
Like many other cultural artistes, he is particular about the content of his music and prefers to sing his own lyrics."Any track at all you hear from Gyptian, a my finger and my head an everything!" Since [Serious Times - his debut single which is number one in Jamaica] people have started coming with songs [for me] but I don't think I'm gonna be able to sing [them]," he says thoughtfully, "Mi nuh know if it a go happen down the line still, but mi head fresh yah now, so mi a gwan do my ting... an music dat no hard fi write, you just have to think about what people think and feel an so think real tings dat people a go see."
Ironically Serious Times was already written and voiced by the time it came to him. Once it was decided that he should re-do the track Gyptian added the "on de corner" verse and altered the melody to make the song his own.
Gyptian will celebrate his 23rd birthday on the 25th of this month, sudden success has not appeared to temper his attitude towards life, "From a likkle ting a gwaan I'm glad. I hoped for it still and I just give thanks," he says, "I always remember that me is just Windell, sometimes when I all walk on the road people don't recognise me, and I am just a yute like everybody else. ..I'm not killing up myself to forward [my career], but it just a move forward.. if you change I don't think you're gonna, be the same man to write the same songs either."
Happy with where he is now and the path he is on, Windell leans back and smiles, "everything is just life you nuh, and me tell the people dem seh life fi balance."
ONE on ONE
RACHAEL BARRETT (RB) - What kind of music are you into?
GYPTIAN (GY) - Me is a man weh always go pon de old time style you know man like Leroy Sibbles, John Holt, Dennis Brown, Beres Hammond and others. Me will listen some a dem ting yah fi de whole day.. de real authentic sound, de beat and de flow of the music, you jus feel the power dem time.
RB - What about politics?
GY - Me never even vote from me know myself long time. Why put a man up in a chair, fi when him go up deh him a dash water pon you? (Laughs) Although I can understand dem sometime still, man have fi mek money for his family, so whateva a man do in life is just for survivial. Quickly making the jump from politics to violence he continues, "I wish the yutes would stop with the violence though. De energy it tek you to kill a man, tek di time and do something constructive. If you can build it up to go fight a man, why not do something constructive? But dem nah do dat.
RB - Any girlfriends? Wives? Kids?
GY - Mi have a one son still, he's four. But you know de girl ting kind of unbalanced...mi never know who is the right one since the majority of them {I hadn't known] before I bus.
RB - Has it been tough keeping in touch with old friends?
GY - Yes, because sometimes some a dem you can't get fi link dem, who no understand dat mi have to gi dem dat still. Tell them all the time because you badder dan mi then tump mi down.
RB - Any favourite TV shows?
GY - Ha, Da bredda! It soun a way still maybe, but mi mostly watch Spongebob.
RB - Favourite food?
GY -I an I man favourite food is dumpling you know? Boil, fry everyting. And then is pure chicken I eat still.
Check nice pic at Jamaica Observer
Taken from the Jamaica Observer
www.jamaicaobserver.com