Post by messenger on Jun 18, 2004 19:29:42 GMT -5
TIMELESS WONDER
AS WAYNE WONDER puts it on the track, "Anything goes when we ride..."
That's how the chips fell when THE STAR spent a day with him earlier this week.
As much as we are accustomed to seeing Wayne Wonder on stage, it was hardly any preparation for seeing him in the kitchen. Although 'bushed' in white t-shirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes, the singer put down the microphone and took up a knife as he turned breakfast chef.
His meal? Surprise surprise...Steam Fish with Okra, the Jamaican man's second national dish.
As true kitchen buffs know, fakes are easy to spot when they try to cook. As soon as they pick up something to use you can see it. Wayne however was like a seasoned kitchen rat. He knew his way around the room. Under the intermittent peeking of his mother Miss Deloris, the slim singer showed THE STAR how someone from the old school cooks.
"As a youth, I caught the cooking thing from my old lady," Wayne explained. "Yu see, we used to have the house fi wiself and we couldn't just starve like that. The dumpling dem used to spoil when we a learn but it's all good, it's a journey."
While the steam fish simmered, as soon as he used the utensils he washed them right away, another old school trait. "That's how we learn it. When yu do that the food keep a better flavour, and when it's finished yu just share, no washing up to do," he noted.
As he danced from counter, to stove, to kitchen sink, to table, his cell phone could not keep quiet. Even though he had come off a plane from New York just the night before, the calls flooded his cell as if he had been here for weeks.
Wasting no time
With the steam fish behind us, it was off to do what he does best, sing. This time it was to complete some well needed dub plates and some tunes to touch up. Wayne had one day in Jamaica and apparently he was wasting no time with it.
Under the chaperone of Headline Entertainment representatives, we went to the studio of Code Red's Master Lee and like a tradesman contracted to do a job, the voicing began.
"Here (Jamaica) is the root of the music so yu have to keep it supplied with tunes yu know," he stated during a break. "Even though we not here as often, yu know yu have to keep giving tunes here. People must hear yu voice same way."
It is no secret that much more limelight is showered on his record stablemate Sean Paul by fans, producers, and as some argue the VP Record label to which they are signed. By his admission this does not bother him.
"I am a person who looks at the bright side of things," he explained. "I don't take it no way cause I am the laid back type, I couldn't deal with the type of hype surrounding him."
As Wayne continued, deejays have long had more attention and praise come their way than singers. "You know how it is from day one. The crowds dem love the deejays more than the singers. I don't worry about that. I just want to make music that people can relate to now, and ten years down the road. Timeless music."
According to him, if he spent time paying attention to things like that, his creativity would suffer. "If yu think about these things yu music will lose focus, cause you start to think about people saying that this artiste better than you and that artiste is hotter than you."
"I just do my thing, and in fact, I would say I have been fortunate cause even while on the road touring, I have met other singers who seh I inspired them to continue singing."
As he took another break from the voicing, a little of the hype came when roughly a dozen Asian women descended on the premises for other business. Their surprise at seeing him quickly became colourfully obvious with the pink hue which flushed their faces. "Hello Mr Wayne," one shyly whispered. They exchanged greetings for a few minutes but the smile never left her face.
Studio work and chit chat stole precious time away, and before you knew it, Wayne was almost late for an interview with radio station FAME FM. Some daring driving by our chaperone took care of this, however, and the interview was saved.
Laid back
Laid back best describes him. With the cell constantly ringing, people approaching him with compliments on the road, Wayne still is quick to give a joke here and there, and laugh at things past and present.
His most serious moment for the day came when he met Richie Anderson inside the RJR building. "Yu see this man, he is the first man I ever carried a King Tubby's record to and King Tubby's the first producer I voiced for. Dem man ya a the foundation," he preached.
From FAME FM it was time for THE GLEANER Company's premises. After chatting with the staff he went online inside the Go-Jamaica chatroom, then took calls from THE STAR's toll free number.
Not a bad way to end a day, even though his flight left the next morning.