Sean Paul’s Scorcha Tour full steam ahead

Global musical powerhouse, Sean Paul, kicked off his US-leg of the Scorcha Tour inside Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida last Friday. It has been two years since the artiste has toured having spent the pandemic period in Jamaica with his family, who Sean Paul says he is missing more than ever.

In the middle of his performance, the entertainer is observed on video, acknowledging his son Levi, whose facial expression (visible on the screen on a smartphone) was the reflection of a proud child as he watched his father’s performance from a distance.

“Me love tour, but me love me family. Right now, me just miss me family. Me miss me son and daughter,” Sean Paul said spontaneously in his interview with The Gleaner, hours before showtime.

Not only is the Grammy Award-winning dancehall hitmaker touring the US, he is also preparing to jet off to the United Kingdom.

He said, “I haven’t really started back major touring as yet, but me know me haffi mash up the world more, or 20 more time at least and because of Omicron there was a decision to push it back so long.”

Scorcha was initially scheduled to be released in 2021, but the pandemic forced a change in plans, delaying the release along with the tour. Sean Paul said that persons can expect great features from Tove Lo, Sia, Jr Gong, Nicky Jam, Jada Kingdom, Gwen Stefani, Shenseea, Stylo G and Pia Mia.

The release of the collaboration with Pia Mia, titled How We Do It, coincided with the start of the US tour and also, the long-anticipated Alpha album from Shenseea, who he described as “a dope writer”.

“I do like the album; a lot of the songs sound very foreign but, as Shen has expressed, she feels different types of music. And we have had female artistes like Tessanne Chin and back in the day, Grace Jones, who don’t necessarily have to do dancehall or reggae. A lot of people said it was the steam of the big first tune with Vybz Kartel, but I think she has shown she is versatile,” Sean Paul explained.

Noting that he has too has been categorised as a pop artiste, Sean Paul is resolute about championing the Jamaican genres. “As a youth who grow inna dancehall and love reggae dancehall genres, I want to take part in the history of the music in bringing up artistes of the younger generation.”

PUSH BOUNDARIES

The Live N Livin artiste further explained that there are different perceptions of what dancehall, reggae and pop music is.

“I do dancehall that may go pop; I will always continue to try to make dancehall music but push the boundaries and have it sound in a different way. A lot of those songs become very popular, the production keeping up with how international pop songs sound but its root is dancehall. Honestly, music is to bring people together [so] in the ultimate final analysis of Alpha, it’s amazing a young Jamaican talent is getting so much exposure and I know and believe in her talent; I know she’ll be there even if people consider it to be not what they like.”

Though pleased with the album production and Shenseea’s following on the path she wants for herself, Sean Paul was not exempt of discontent with her statement on Instagram that, “If you’re no longer a fan, I’m okay with losing you, I started this journey on my own,” although he understands her frustration.

“I was a little disappointed with what Shen said on her live, or more, how she said it, but people been criticising her a lot,” he said, adding that if she wants to do pop-oriented music, it’s her personal choice.

“I just wish she would big up dancehall [on its versatility as a genre] and there are a lot of dancehall fans that love and supported her up to this point. I’d say to them, she is human so, if you feel a way that she only gave dancehall a certain time, remember she also has helped to progress the genre in a certain respect. So, all the best to Shen and I love the effort she and her team has been making,” Sean Paul said.

He sent shout outs to his dancers Reda Versatile, Happy Feet and Sara Bendii and those trained by Tanisha Scott on the tour. The Scorcha Tour closes in Monterey, California, on May 29.

stephanie.lyew@gleanerjm.com