Bay-C visits Holy Land for new video

Dancehall deejay Bay-C explores his spirituality on his recently released solo debut album Holy Temple. It was only fitting that the visuals for the title be shot in the Holy Land of Israel.

Directed by European Benjamin Lidsky, the music video unfolds in the Negev desert with Bay-C draped in a headdress, tunic and robe giving it an air of biblical times. The entertainer said the response to the video, which was released last week, has been enormous.

"It's been getting a lot of feedback from industry persons, especially because it was shot in Israel and I'm dressed like in the time of Christ," he told The Sunday Gleaner. "It's a whole different look and feel, so it's definitely having, in my opinion, a positive impact."

The track is one of 10 produced by his Bombrush Records and is the second video that has been released from the album. The first video for the track Run from Poverty was released last month.

Once part of the now disbanded dancehall quartet TOK, Bay-C has released other projects, like his 2016 EP Better Mus Come and his 2017 mixtape Rise of A King. For his debut album, he shared that he wanted to explore another side of himself while producing a substantial body of work able to stand the test of time and inspire future generations. The album was five years in the making.

"The spiritual theme was inspired by two things. As a dancehall artiste, I'm fighting two sides of myself - a part of me is the type of artiste who wants to sing about the regular 'bubble and whine, shake up your bam bam' kind of thing. But then, I look at my children, and I look at putting out something that can really have a universal message and a lasting message," he said. "Leaving the group and doing my first album, I wanted it to represent more of my spirituality. After this project, then I can go and play around with the regular dancehall stuff."

But Holy Temple is not confined to one theme. Bay-C also explores the theme of love in tracks like Sahara Queen and My Love Away.

"It's just really a more personal, introspect, experimental album than a commercial effort," he said. "The love songs show a more emotional side of Bay-C, and the other songs represent my take on spirituality, and it is separating religion from spirituality - which is a big difference."

He recently returned from an Italian tour and looks forward to promoting the project in the upcoming year.

"I still haven't started the marketing, like going on the road and selling merchandise, which we plan to do in 2019. But I wanted the album to be out before Christmas this year," he said. "It has been successful. We give thanks that the tour went really well and that I was well-received over there. A lot of people knew me and the music before I went on stage, which is a really good sign, so it's growing, and I give thanks."