Five Questions with Shacia Paÿne

With Reggae Month celebrations in motion, Five Questions put the spotlight on female disc jockeys who are levelling the playing field, paying their dues, and helping to break barriers in reggae and dancehall.

At first glance, Shacia Marley, more popularly known Shacia Paÿne, appears very quiet and reserved, but don’t be fooled. She is one of those disc jockeys who has been sharpening her ‘nails’ on the ones and twos and the sound she produces is creating an uptick in the music industry.

Born in Miami and raised in Los Angeles for some time, Shacia Paÿne says Jamaica “is where her heart is”, being from the large musical family birthed here on the island. The granddaughter of global reggae icon Bob Marley and first daughter of his son, Stephen Marley, the love of music is entwined into her DNA. She has opened the stage for her father and uncles on tours, grown with the Jamrock Reggae Cruise and painted the party centrals in America for more than five years.

Her journey to becoming a well-known and respected disc jockey is marked by the struggle to find what she truly love. But she has found the strength to break the mould. Wanting to see more women in the field, she decided to be part of the change. “I was always like, ‘where di females dem deh?’ because some of these male selectors weren’t playing what we wanted to hear. Here I am, the only DJ in the family right now. I am really, what did you call me, a beast! Though I still am a little shy on the microphone, I know what I want to do and I continue to let the music and my style of playing speak for itself,” Shacia Paÿne said.

She has been busy spinning the wheels in her favour and has big plans for the all-female sound system dubbed Constance Bubble. Even while dealing with the loss of a loved one, Shacia Paÿne sits down with The Gleaner and gives it her all – dishing the details on what’s coming next, reminiscing on stories of good times, and sharing some laughter – for this week’s Five Questions.

1. It’s a difficult time for your family with the passing of your brother, Jo Mersa. But along with your siblings, you have managed to lean on each other and create something beautiful in memory of him, tell us a bit about that.

You know, I’m actually doing good in spite of the circumstances. I have come to terms that I have lost a brother, but how … I mean we have to talk about it and I know I’ll be asked these questions for a while, I just want to keep his memory alive. Along with my siblings Yohan and Mystic, we’re planning an event on March 18 in Montego Bay. It’s Mystic, Yohan and Shacia presents Rockers at Pineapple Beach ; a holistic show with a live band, DJ segment and we will have some guests. It was actually Joseph’s idea and we were all to do this together because as siblings we always hosted events and support each other … my siblings are always coming to my gigs, and it is always a fun time. We want to share that with other families [throughout] this day into [the] evening, [at an event] fashioned for the young and old.

2. How were you introduced to deejaying? How did you make it your own and who are your influences?

In our family, there is some time spent in the studio. A lot of growing up happened right inside the studio with daddy first. As children we would see the knobs go up and down on the controls and each of us are able to learn it on our own time and have the opportunity to ask questions, which is a very important thing for anyone in this field to do. I definitely had a lot of male mentors while growing up and even now; from Tony Matterhorn, to Geefus from Stone Love, Renaissance Disco’s DJ Delano and DJ Madout among others. I watched these male disc jockeys on many stages like the Jamrock Reggae Cruise, how they play, what they play and most importantly how they control their audiences and I was always taking notes. It makes me feel good now when they see me behind the controls and are in awe of how much I’ve grown creatively and professionally. I’m still learning and hope to go back to school and study sound engineering.

This is not the endgame. Becoming a DJ was the start for me; I actually love creating the sounds [so] sooner [rather] than later persons will get to hear some of my productions and see more of what I have to bring to the table.

3. That includes the Constance Bubble Sound System … what is going into this?

A lot is. I’m a ‘90s dancehall baby and lately we’re not seeing people move the same way they used to in that era. That is how Constance Bubble was conceptualised, between myself and Fla$h from out of Trinidad … we’re trying to blend the different sounds from dancehall, to Amapiano to soca, our cultures and our energies, into making a sound that keeps the music and the people literally bubbling. There is also a mixtape coming from me, mixing in some of my vocals and there’s actually have a song with Joseph on it, thank God, and Amanyea.

4. Disc jockeys have been dubbed one of the gatekeepers in the music industry, how do you make sure you don’t abuse this power and empower other women?

That’s deep … I got to know myself during the lockdown and get in tune with the world and how it works. So, as a gatekeeper, I don’t play certain tunes … I love me some bad man tune and have no problem moving to these songs in a party but I don’t feel I should play some things out of respect for myself, and what my grandfather built in his legacy – it wasn’t on that type of energy – and finally out of respect of my audience. It’s about creating a balance and knowing your responsibility not just to women but everyone. Think about it, people play music while getting from place to place, when dem a work out, when dem a cook … it is a driving force.

5. If you could choose a superpower, what would it be and why?

I’d choose teleportation. I have a one-year-old, so, when dem say come a LA to play plus how long I may have to leave him for, from the flights to the late nights, I’d rather be able to teleport, do the gig and go back to him or even teleport with him and get what I need to get done.

stephanie.lyew@gleanerjm.com