Here to promote his latest album, "Never Give Up", Jah Mason was recently in Paris, alongside Turbulence and Junior Kelly. Just before his concert, we were able to exchange a few words with this ambitious singer, who has come a long way and who too rarely receives the recognition he deserves. The Reggaefrance team shares with you this interview, full of spirituality and good vibrations.
Since the last time we met, you've released several albums. In fact, I counted one a year. First, "Working So Hard", in 2001…
Jah Mason No, that wasn't the first. "Keep Your Joy" was the first, then "Working So Hard". Yeah, "Keep Your Joy", "Working So Hard", "Unlimited" and?
"Never Give Up"…
Jah Mason Exactly! You've got it. Then, in about ten days, we're going to release one, for Jah Warrior, but no comment on that for the moment. We'll talk about it later…
Your album "Never Give Up" is produced by Kariang and an Israeli musician called Danny Piloni?
Jah Mason Yeah! Piloni, an Israeli musician, a member of Shabak, the band called Shabak.
Can you tell us more about your collaboration with him? I thought relations between Yardies and Israelis were rather difficult?
Jah Mason No man, everything's fine, man, and I even went to Israel to play concerts.
And was it fine?
Jah Mason Yeah, it was great!
On the other hand, you appear less often on dancehall riddims, I mean, hardcore dancehall riddims?
Jah Mason What? Those electronic things? To be honest, it's not really that I appear less, but there's a politics to the music. I've voiced riddims you wouldn't think I'm on. Sometimes all these things come out, all these records come out, but who's behind it? Who's marketing it? Who? So sometimes that's why we have to do things ourselves.
And what do you think of this kind of "politics" and the general atmosphere in dancehall?
Jah Mason It's just dancehall. It doesn't matter what the riddim is, whether it's dancehall, funk... What do they call it here?
Techno…
Jah Mason Techno! If there's a message and it's positive, then it's all good. I'm not responsible; if you want to be trendy and it's positive, that's fine! So, I haven't been on many hardcore dancehall riddims... I haven't lost anything. I've gained, if anything, because when I voice something slower, people take the time to listen. It's more of a 1, 2... like heartbeats. Yes, tell yourself that heartbeats are the best thing, even for finding strength, because we need people to understand. We need it, because even when someone sings a message that isn't positive, people still hear it and absorb it. But who needs to absorb that?
Do you still live at David House?
Jah Mason I live everywhere, man. I'm living in France at the moment. Everywhere I go, I live, I consider them my homes. David House, my home, my mother's house, so many houses, I'm the builder, I'm the mason! Not that kind of mason, Jah's mason, the builder of virtue. I have a great many houses.
Are you still in touch with Capleton? I heard you did a duet with him?
Jah Mason Yeah man! For a long time... Every day, every time we went to the studio, we got together, every time! It's as if I'd been to school and got my diploma. I'm self-employed now, I no longer have to work in a band.
And do you still work with people like Junior Reid or Tony Rebel?
Jah Mason If they need it, but as I told you, I'm following my own path now, I'm doing my own work. So if there's work and they need help, we stay positive, we stay connected and we stay real. So the message will always get across, you won't see any change, it will always be the same, but better.
In many songs, you talk about Justice; you seem to feel really concerned by the subject?
Jah Mason Yes, because I haven't seen much justice over time. But who cares? The message has to get across... So we talk about unity and solidarity... We need more of that in songs, because I know you hear a lot of songs without justice or unity, don't you?
That's true. What about Jah Cure? What's his situation at the moment?
Jah Mason He should be entitled to his freedom! That's all. Jah Cure has been ready for the world since he was born. When he comes out, we'll go on tour.
On your first visit to Paris, I heard you had some trouble with French promoters?
Jah Mason No, it was a misunderstanding, financial problems... So everything's fine, everything's running smoothly! It doesn't mean I have a problem with everybody in France. I have a problem with one promoter. He's made amends, so it's all good now. When he heard I was coming to France, he called me: "Hey Jah Mason. Are you coming to France?". Yeah man, everything's going very well, because if it wasn't about love, he would never have dared call me back, because he knows what I'm like and he knows he was in the wrong, but you just have to stay real, stand together. France, Martinique, Guadeloupe, wherever you come from... Remember that we have to be united and that we'll make it together and we'll go up a level. So where do we go from there? It's not only a journalist or a singer or a tour... The individual, the person... What comes out of the person? What energy does the person project?
Is the current European tour going well? Are you getting good vibes everywhere you go? And are your relations with the other artists good?
Jah Mason Yeah man! Great vibes! Everything's fine, we're going to Australia and the Caribbean and we finish the tour. One royalty, man!
Do you have plans for the future?
Jah Mason There are so many projects…
And do you have a particular big up to give to the users of Reggaefrance?
Jah Mason Yeah man, all the time, more than a particular big up! An excess! Big up to all the French organisation that came together and does this, and the people too, the people in the Caribbean who listen and grasp the message, the people in France too, etc, etc... We thank them, because with their strength, it gets better... The neighbouring country, over here, it travels, it gets better, it gets beautiful. We thank those who spread our message around here.
Comments (2)
anthony c · · rating: 5 out of 5
Jah mason, des messages toujours aussi purs et sage de plus en plus de distinction que du bon que du bon BLESS!!!(sa change des histoire de jet set de prvoc sex ou de buisness sans citer ,sa devient pour moi un gros virus du reggae et une insulte aux rastafarisme les lionnes merites beaucoup plus que leur exibitionisme sur les clips ce ne serait pas mettre en avant la tentation ca?...cela est un domaine pour babywrong pas une affiche a mettre sur le culte rasta:argent sex and jetset go downnnnnnnn!!!! )
je l'ai ecouter la premiere fois y a 5 ans et j'arrive plus a debloquer je n'attend qu'une chose depuis ce temps c'est de prendre sa vibes sur scenes merci pour ta tournee francaise je serai a annecy en fevrier pour ton concert quitte a dormir dans la rue
akxel · · rating: 5 out of 5