Chaka Demus gearing up to release project for Int’l Women’s Day
Published:Thursday | March 3, 2022 | 12:09 AMSade Gardner/Staff Reporter
Veteran performer Chaka Demus has something up his sleeve for International Women’s Day on Tuesday.
“I have a surprise for the ladies this month; I’m going to put out a nice thing for the ladies,” the entertainer, who did not want to confirm the format of the project, told The Gleaner.
Demus said he was led to work on it to highlight the strength and respectability of women.
“I’m going to pay respect to all the women as I think women are much stronger than men mentally,” he started. “Right now, I want the man dem fi know seh this month, woman’s month, we fi just celebrate the ladies and give the ladies we all cause nuff a di man dem a gwaan like dem a disrespect the women. We nah disrespect the women; we a show a whole heap of love to the woman dem this month.”
He’s already off to a good start, treating women to his hit Murder She Wrote alongside Pliers on Saturday night’s premiere of DJ Cassidy’s reggae-dancehall Pass The Mic showcase.
Reflecting on the song, which was recorded 30 years ago by production duo Sly and Robbie, Demus said its continued popularity is connected to the love musicians had for their craft during that era.
“Back in the days when I and I a come, speaking for myself, I never did a look fi get pay fi the music,” he said. “Yuh haffi love it from your heart. The first time a man give mi $30 fi deejay pon a sound system, mi ask weh him a give me the $30 for. Him seh cause yuh mash up the dance. Mi never did a look fi no pay, so the thing weh mi woulda say why music from then lives on is the love of the music.”
He spoke highly of the longevity of the music created by his contemporaries, including Nadine Sutherland, Tanto Metro & Devonte, Patra, Maxi Priest and Shaggy, who also performed during the showcase.
“Everybody was great as I’m concerned,” he said. “We haffi give thanks fi DJ Cassidy fi come and seh dem waan fi show a lot of love to our music. I respect him for that … Chaka Demus and Pliers work really hard, and everybody weh yuh see pon DJ Cassidy thing a hard workers dem so anything dem get inna life out of the music, dem deserve it.”