INTERVIEW : SIZZLA
Interview by : Benoit Collin
Traduction : Benoit Georges & Seb
Pictures by : DR
on Thursday, November 12th 2009 - 32 448 views
While he is in the middle of a French tour, we publish this interview with Sizzla, conducted before the summer. The Bobo talks to us about the latest notable events in Jamaica. Sizzla, who is no longer really at the heart of controversies and clashes between artists, now observes the new generation from above. And is opening up new horizons. Aside from his expected investments (label, t-shirts, sneakers...), Sizzla is thinking of buying land in Africa and tells us about his new project: becoming a farmer!
Reggaefrance / Your latest album is Ghetto Youths Ology; can you tell us how this project came about?
Sizzla / It's a very beautiful album, called “Ghetto youth-ology”. I recorded it with the Firehouse Crew, the band from my early days, back in the time of Luciano. I still work with them, I do my tours with them. It's my band, and after all this time, it was time to give them an album. It was the best choice. The album was recorded in Jamaica, between tours. In fact, we recorded in batches of 2 or 3 songs per session; we'd come back to Jamaica, we'd compose the riddims and then I'd sing, we'd catch the vibe, you know. And one day, the album was ready. I told them: “Release it, do what you want with it. It has to be called Ghetto Youth-ology”, because the ghetto youths are life. It's a beautiful album, made with love.
It was another project with VP. Don't you want to release an album on your own label?
Yes, I'm thinking of releasing albums on my label. I've already had albums released on my label. I worked with Def Jam, through a collaboration between Kalonji Records and Def Jam. But for contractual reasons, we released that project with Damon Dash.
Yes, the album “The Overstanding”, which didn't get much exposure in Europe. It wasn't even officially released in France...
And the album “Life” that came out on Kalonji? There's another one coming soon. There are a lot of albums that haven't come out, that you don't know about. Because I work a lot and everywhere, so all those producers would have to be brought together to compile the songs, make an album of them and release it before I release my own productions. I have a lot of work ahead of me.
 Tant que le soleil brillera, j’ai besoin de chanter, je dois chanter... 
That's the advantage of working with VP, getting better exposure...
Yes, I've worked with VP and Greensleeves forever. Those two labels have released Sizzla's albums from the start.
And now they're in the same boat.
Yes, the two labels have merged, which can only be positive for me, for a next album. From now on, the albums that VP wasn't distributing in Europe will be. Which is good. With VP, Sizzla got access to the American market, with Greensleeves, to the English market. Now that these two companies have come together, it would be good to release an album because we've been working together for a long time.
We no longer hear collaborations with Xterminator; why have you stopped working together?
We've never stopped. I'm still recording, it's just that Fattis isn't releasing the tracks! I recorded a song for him three days ago.
Maybe one day he'll release dozens of Sizzla albums...
Yeah, you'll hear about those albums one day. Fattis is working on an album with me right now.
What's your take on the Alliance / Portmore Empire rivalry?
It's entertainment. There's a kind of excitement among the artists, who try to defend themselves with their lyrics.
How do you see yourself in relation to the new generation? Next to them, you almost look like a veteran...
(laughs) I see myself as doing well and confident. I live with it, because we have to learn to work with young people since they are the future. You were young too. I have no problem with the Portmore Empire and the Alliance. We're brothers, we respect each other. The clash is part of the entertainment too, you see what I mean? I'm comfortable among the new generation. I learn a lot from them too. I've made many songs on this theme, taking care of the youth. I learn from them as well. “Each one teach one”. You're never too old to learn, and I like that.
A word on the election of Barack Obama?
I only think good things about it, it's a historic event in this 21st century. Black people have suffered a lot of persecution, the slavery that meant many of us ended up in America. America tortured many of us. It's a kind of justice for Black people, even if we know our past has not been acknowledged as we would have wished. But I'm still happy to see a Black man in that post. He has shown the qualities and the strength it takes to achieve certain things, and to show the world that we can change it, in relation to this economic crisis. We hope and pray that he can do a lot to ease the pressure, especially the economic pressure, weighing on the people, on the young, to improve education... Even if we know that this system remains a Babylonian system.
Daggering has been censored in Jamaica. What do you think?
I see nothing wrong with it. The songs on the radio just have to be “clean”, “radio friendly” as they say. But daggering is just a way of expressing yourself, in an intimate way...
But “daggering” has indeed been banned from dances.
You can't limit it to the word “daggering”: it's just a word that expresses the sexual act. There are other words, you have “dalla”, “jook”, “stab”... They're only words, and words take their meaning from the way they're used. I have no problem with that. In the sound systems, in the dancehalls, people want to express themselves, even on the internet they look for music, we are human, it's human nature. “A man is just a man”. And a man talks about women, sometimes he says how he wants to make love to her, how he wants to treat her well. It's just a way of expressing yourself. I have no problem with young people making music, singing about certain subjects they have experienced... That's how it is, you shouldn't fight them and try to force them to stick to a single subject. I have a new song called Strange bad stuff whose lyrics talk about this in a very expressive way.
You played a big concert in the Gambia, at the National Stadium in Brikama. You were received like a president.
Yes, it was exceptional. I was so overwhelmed... I could see the people... And the smiles on people's faces. They accept you, they welcome you into their communities... Everywhere they praise you, you feel like a god to them. Everywhere they tell you they love Sizzla, his uprightness, surrounded by people everywhere. It feels like being on a mission: you see, you sing, you eat, you drink, you pray, you meet all the officials, the president, the vice-president, the secretaries of state, the general, ordinary civil servants, citizens, businessmen... I was invited onto the radio, people called in to ask questions about repatriation. I went to schools, to see the teachers, the headteachers, the pupils... I played a little match with the army... We just socialised with people.
It seems to have been an important experience for you...
Yes, of course. I toured for about a year: France, England, the United States, the Caribbean; people come to see Sizzla, they buy my CDs, and they know that Sizzla sings about Africa. So, Sizzla in Africa is the culmination, the fulfilment of a mission towards all the fans in the world. They can say to themselves: “Sizzla did it”. It's big.
Have you thought about duets with local artists?
Yes, I did a few combinations with Doctor Olugander, MLK and other artists when I was there. I recorded 41 songs in the Gambia, Jesse Jendah recorded 14. That's how we worked, and Sizzla Kalonji was the headliner in the Gambia with Princess Menen. The concert was organised by Kalonji Records, Betts Promotion and Rebel T Promotion.
Will you be going back soon?
Of course! I'd go back, I want to buy a big house in Africa, with lots of land to develop business and agriculture. There's something about Africa, it's the mother land.
Last time you told us about selling shoes and T-shirts; where does that project stand?
It still exists. We're canvassing, meeting sponsors to move the project forward, the design... We also have to meet the people who make these shoes.
In Jamaica?
No, it's made in China. That's why we need sponsors and all that.
Do you know how many tracks you've recorded in your career?
No. A lot, that's for sure. Thousands.
Can you imagine yourself giving up singing?
No, I can't. As long as the sun shines. I need to sing. I have to sing.
You've achieved a lot in reggae. Do you consider yourself an accomplished artist?
Yes, I'd say so. I can't say otherwise. I've been here from the start with my fans, who have followed me through all my successes, so yes!
Many artists use their exposure to push new artists. We don't see many coming from your camp.
We do have artists, we do have young people, but sometimes it depends on the heart and mind of those young people. We follow Rastafari and we live by principles, even in the way we make music. But we make a lot of records.
To finish, what are your next projects?
Between all the recording, I'm planning to build a farm in Portland.
A farm?
Yeah! You heard right: a farm to produce food.
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