Deno Crazy happy to give back to alma mater Ewarton High
Published:Monday | April 24, 2023 | 12:54 AMAaliyah Cunningham/Gleaner Writer
Deno Crazy is all about paying it forward.
Last Thursday, the comedian-turned-entertainer gave back to his alma mater, Ewarton High School, in a big way. Through partnership with Western Sports and part proceeds from the event Polo Fi Days, Deno Crazy, whose real name is Andre Dixon, donated to the sports programme of the St Catherine-based high school.
Growing up in Ewarton, a small town in St Catherine, life was not always easy for Deno, and financial challenges prevented him from completing his studies. However, ut while there, he was a member of the football team and very involved in dance and drama.
He had always been known to make his schoolmates and teachers smile before bringing the talents to social media and gaining a large following. Some three years ago, he entered the music scene with hits such as Polo Fi Days and recent viral tune Thunda. Deno’s unique blend of comedy and music has made him one of the most popular young artistes in Jamaica.
“Growing up, I’ve always loved sports, especially football, but I was not fortunate enough to have the resources to help me gain any momentum in that field. So seeing now that I get a chance to be successful with my talent, I just know it’s important to help develop the young talents at my old school who may have a dream to want to do great things. I have an amazing relationship with the teachers there,” he told The Gleaner.
“It was one of the most heartfelt feelings in my career just to see the smile on the students’ faces as well as the love and support from the teachers ... it’s just amazing,” he continued.
The rising star also recalled his time at the institution.
“The most memorable thing from my school days, to be honest, was hanging out with my friends, laughing. We used to give a lot of trouble, but it wasn’t trouble that was dangerous to anyone. We just use to make music and laugh on the corridors. Everyone loved me at school, so I always had a lot of people around me,” he recalled.
The artiste presented the school with brand-new footballs, gear, safety wear, and shoes. Deno’s donation is a much-needed boost for the football programme, which has struggled in recent years due to the lack of resources.
Deno stressed the importance of giving back to the communities that support you.
“It’s one of the most important thing in your career, if not the most important, because the people you help are the people who help you to become that force within the industry, so I’ll always support my community and fans worldwide,” he shared.
He also used the opportunity at Ewarton High to give encouraging words to the students.
“The most important thing I could have told them was just to stay focused. You can be anything you want to be as long as you work hard. The world is big, and there are chances there for anyone. We all can’t be the same thing, so your chances are there,” he said.
As for the rest of 2023, he plans to keep focused on pushing his career so that he can continue to get involved in initiatives such as this.
“For this year, just a lot of work planned and new music from myself. I have a lot of shows internationally as well as new content with my partnership with Flow Jamaica.”