‘This is a joy to me’ - Chaka Demus ‘happy’ for Biden-Harris win, praises Pliers for ‘Bam Bam’
Published:Monday | November 9, 2020 | 12:11 AMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer
The line, “I want you to know that I am the man who fight for the right, not the wrong”, stands out in the 1992 classic Bam Bam. According to veteran recording artiste Pliers, it is the reason that the sample of the song could be heard in the streets of Philadelphia when the presidential race called Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States.
Pliers, who is one-half of the famed reggae and dancehall performing duo with Chaka Demus, said that the message is relevant to the time.
“Biden has proven to be a rights man, and a strong representative for the US nation, and that part of the lyrics is why people choose it [to] exemplify his qualities and the work he is doing,” he told The Gleaner.
He continued, “It is a great feeling – I feel great – to know that songs that were done 30 years ago can be loved by the youths today. That means it has quality and substance to survive the decades and decades of music produced.
Toots and The Maytals recorded the original song in 1966. Still, Pliers, given name Everton Bonner, takes credit for its global recognition. It has been sampled more than 50 times by local and international acts, including R&B power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Kanye West and Rihanna for their 2016 collaboration Famous, and Lizzo for Truth Hurts released in 2017.
“I took the original Festival song by the legendary Toots Hibbert and turn it into a worldwide celebrated classic,” Pliers said. “There is nobody that can say they do not know Bam Bam. I dance to songs that I born come hear, and my children are still dancing to songs I born come hear.”
The recording artiste has been grounded in Portmore, St Catherine, since the start of the pandemic but says that he has been keeping up with the times. Pliers recently released Real Warrior, a collaboration with his brother, Richie Spice (given name Richell Bonner), and he and Chaka Demus are preparing to produce an EP with the help of renowned record producing duo Sly and Robbie.
Chaka Demus, in his interview with The Gleaner, shared in the satisfaction that Bam Bam and its message resounded in the celebrations. He praised his musical partner, adding that “although it was Pliers alone on Bam Bam, it is still a joy to hear them playing the song and showing us both love.”
“The lyrics of the song, the message of the opening line is the reason for its success, too. The lyrical content of the song is powerful and relevant. It has a lot to do with things happening right now in the world. I am happy to know the cover Pliers did for Island Records is on the Murder She Wrote and Bam Bam riddim and that it has done so well internationally.”
When Chaka Demus was asked if he was happy with the results of the US elections, he exclaimed, “What!”
“This is a joy to me, and I am not afraid to say that I am happy for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to know the result was in favour of them,” he continued.