Mexican reggae artiste Jah Fabio pushes the Latin-Jamaica connection
Published:Friday | February 16, 2024 | 12:10 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer - -
Mexican reggae artiste, Jah Fabio, while expressing his gratitude to reggae music for changing his life, is also embracing being a bridge between Jamaican artistes and Latin artistes rather than Reggaeton acts.
“Reggae music change my life ... it means a lot to me. That’s why I come to Jamaica and learn the culture proper and spread in my country and defend di culture. I see nuff kind of music tek your culture and neva come back and seh nothing to you. I want to give something back. My daddy and my mommy teach me that gratitude is a mus’ so I come to Jamaica to learn di real ting. Jamaican youth, be proud of your culture and don’t try to be an American artiste ... a rapper, you know. This music is special,” Jah Fabio said during an interview while in Jamaica for the Bob Marley celebration and also to work on a number of projects.
The Mexican was the unknown element at the Bob Marley birthday celebration concert on February 6 at Emancipation Park, but after he left the stage, he certainly left his name on the lips of hundreds who turned out for the event.
The “bandilero”, who was on his fifth visit to the island, has studied Jamaican culture and has mastered the artiste swagger down to a science. Jah Fabio not only walked the walk, he talked the talk, and he also did music.
“Mi a Mexico bad bwoy, mi a bandilero. Give thanks and praise to di Most High Jah! Rastafari,” Jah Fabio shouted in Jamaican patois, as he proceeded to shout out Ochi, Galtego Bay (Montego Bay), Tivoli Gardens, Gullyside and Waterhouse.
His use of ‘Galtego Bay’, the artiste word for Montego Bay, shocked many, in a good way, and Jah Fabio unlocked hearts with his tribute song to Jamaica, in which he declared, “ Me love Jamaica island in the Sun ... me love Jamaica good vibes inna Jamdung.”
He declared exactly who he was in the song Man a Rebel, and paid tribute to Bob Marley with Draw Bad Card, which the crowd loved. But the thing that got him the loudest cheer was when he told his newfound fans where he could be reached, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and OnlyFans.
“I just enjoy music,” he shared. “This is my fifth performance in Jamaica but my first in Kingston at Emancipation Park and the Bob Marley celebration. And it is my Daddy’s first time in Jamaica. It is a special day ... definitely, it is one of the best days in my life,” he said.
Actually, both Jah Fabio and his father shared an extremely emotional embrace just after he stepped off stage at the Bob Marley concert. He admitted that he was not expecting that level of appreciation from the crowd, and even during his backstage interview random persons were walking up to him to congratulate him on his performance – “Yute, yuh gwaan good.”
“Now I feel really happy and I am ready to come more often and do more work with Stampede,” he stated.
Declaring his love for “every aspect of Jamaica”, the hombre from Guadalajara, “the Mariachi place”, shared a bit of his personal history. His father introduced him to reggae music, but initially his focus was football. After he stopped playing, he took up his trumpet and trombone and started a love affair with reggae.
“I produce a few riddims, and now I am doing some bookings for a few Latin artistes. Now I come to Jamaica I have the links, so dem use me like a bridge and I want to be a bridge between the Jamaican culture and Latin culture but not reggaeton. Nuff times a Jamaican artiste do a collab with a reggaeton artiste, but dem forget that we have reggae and dancehall in Latin America too. Mexico have 126 million people. And then there is Argentina, Colombia, Brazil and other countries in Latin America that love reggae. Jamaican artistes now need to build a bridge with the reggae and dancehall artistes in Latin America,” Jah Fabio insisted.