S Pri ready to take the dive in dancehall - Austrian artiste says Jamaica’s musical culture is deep
Published:Thursday | April 16, 2020 | 12:00 AMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer
Like a salmon swimming upstream, Austria-born singer and songwriter Stefan Prieler is on the long and hard journey of finding the right niche. He wants to be added to the list of respected non-Jamaican reggae and dancehall acts, such as Gentleman, Matisyahu, Snow, Collie Buddz and Alborosie who have been categorised as white men who dared to test the reggae waters, eventually making waves across the world.
“As one can imagine, there is an ongoing issue or obstacle being a foreigner, much less the white man trying to establish himself as a dancehall recording artiste. However, I can understand, and I do respect the reasons in terms of the likely fight one will receive, especially a person like me. I know I am a guest and will always be a guest,” noted Prieler, who goes by the sobriquet S Pri.
S Pri might not fit the prototype of an authentic reggae or dancehall entertainer, but he is definitely one to watch.
“People who don’t know me just see the white man or see what I am doing as exploitation, and it is a demotivating factor that is hard to face but those who know me, from I started my musical journey (most of whom are of Caribbean heritage) know my genuine love for the music and the intentions I have,” S Pri said.
“And while I am aware of many white reggae and dancehall artistes, I was always following the careers of top players from the hard-core Jamaican scene – Vybz Kartel, Bounty Killer and Aidonia – more than any other to see if I could find inspiration and a path or similar avenue I could trod on,” he continued.
After years of pursuing several projects in his home country, S Pri relocated to Manchester in the United Kingdom which, he says, has a wider scope and bursting reggae and dancehall scene.
“With British who have Jamaican heritage, I am exposed to a lot more of authentic dances and sound systems,” S Pri told The Gleaner.
“I have also travelled to Jamaica few times – Lucea, MoBay, Kingston, Portmore, Old Harbour, St Ann, Portland – so I circled the island and also had an opportunity to live with Jamaicans rather than checking into an unnecessary five-star hotel and accepted because I came to experience the culture to its core.”
Dancehall history lessons
S Pri expressed that like the music which makes him feel at home, so was his stay in Jamaica. It also allowed him to dive deeper into the history of Jamaica’s genres, he said, which anyone who is hoping to establish a career in reggae or dancehall needs to know.
He said: “How many times have we heard that a tree without roots can’t stand? If an artiste does not know where the music comes from, there’s no growing to become a dancehall artiste (so) having intense knowledge of the past, history and meaning from mento and ska, to reggae one drop to the digital revolution which emerged into old-school dancehall is, in my point of view, a must.”
There are five official songs in S Pri’s catalogue, all of which employ the sounds of authentic reggae and dancehall. The latest releases, Cheers to Life and Vibes Up, play with dancehall lovers’ need to move, while songs like Brick Wall speak to social issues such as trying to survive on a small amount of earnings.
He said: “Music is a reflection of life itself. I was born in a small town outside of the Austrian capital, and raised by a single mother. Money wasn’t always there and life wasn’t always easy; another reason I felt connected to reggae because it speaks about daily fight with financial issues.”
S Pri’s intense love for dancehall music and Jamaican culture started to emerge when he first discovered Beenie Man’s 16th studio album Back to Basics, released in 2004.
“I fell in love with dancehall because there was always a song I could relate to my personal struggles and define myself with it.”
The dancehall star-in-the-making said that he wants to eventually prove his worth through the music while at the same time, “it may sound like a childish dream but I want to show it doesn’t matter where you come from or how we look, and hopefully use the music to eliminate racism. All of us have blood running through our veins – we are one mankind – I want to present colourless lines through my lyrics.”
It’s going to be a big dive for S Pri as he not only competes with Jamaica’s local talent but with the world that has been utilising the sounds signature to dancehall to create mainstream hits, but he does not believe he will drown.
“I didn’t choose dancehall, it chose me as young man growing up. Using the few avenues I had, I started to make connections to the birthplace of the music, and right now it means more to get the acknowledgement than any commercial success. I rather have 10 Jamaicans showing approval for my music,” he said.