The multifaceted DJ Bambino - Loves music and food

Latoya Grindley, Gleaner Writer

He is seen as a breath of fresh air for morning-time radio, and through his wit, fun-filled and creative set, he has captured and secured the listenership of the young, old and in-between. Who is he? DJ Bambino!

Named Orrett Hart at birth, DJ Bambino is a multifaceted and talented character. He loves to entertain and this became very apparent during his early days at Vaz Preparatory School. "I wasn't a troublemaker, I was more a class clown from prep school straight to high school. In prep school, when teachers were to nominate students to be a part of the school's pantomime, you know I was going to be nominated. When I got my report cards, it would say, 'Orett needs to be less talkative', and if there were 12 comments from teachers, that one would be repeated 10 times. I was really talkative and loved to give jokes," he says in-between bouts of laughter.

Not so sure that his way with words would form a part of his profession, the successful career of this disc jock really began when he migrated to Florida to attend college after graduating from Campion College.

In Tampa, he joined his brother, Jason, who was, at the time, actively involved in music and playing at college parties. Being the younger brother, Bambino started to 'tag' along. "I started to get involved with music then, and when he took bathroom breaks, I filled in."

Like every DJ, he needed a special name. But why Bambino? "When I was a baby, my uncle called me Bambino and the name stuck. But as I got older, it went from that to Bambi and even through high school that's what they called me. When I started doing music I needed a name, and I could not use Bambi because it sounded like a stripper's name, so I settled on 'Bambino'."

With his name selected and career in music moving steadily upwards, Bambino and Jason formed the Ricochet sound system. It was one of the hit sound systems in Miami.

After gaining popularity as DJ Bambino, he decided on a solo career, and up until his return to Jamaica, he had played for 16 years overseas. During that time, he travelled back and forth between Miami and Jamaica, playing at parties during major holiday seasons.

Having a wife and a son, Bambino felt the desire to relocate to Jamaica. In June of last year, he made the big move. "I wanted to raise my son in Jamaica, this is where I grew up and I believe in our education system. And we have a great support system here too."

As fate decreed, upon his return, Bambino took a radio slot that seemed to have been cut out just for him. "ZIP wasn't the first radio station I had played music. I played at others but they were mostly underground stations with a limited listenership like a once weekly thing for me."

Bambino is now enjoying his life as a radio personality while balancing that with his career as a disc jockey. "People ask me where I come up with the things I talk about all the time on radio. Most times, it is just spontaneous, or from personal experiences and things that happen to other people. I don't plan because it will sound too rehearsed. And being spontaneous, I find that people gravitate to my personality."

Still much-sought after, Bambino can be seen selecting at social events across the island. And he isn't just playing songs from other artistes' catalogues. He too has joined the list of dancehall/reggae artistes.

Alter ego

Ever heard of Trever Off Key? "This is my alter ego. I wanted to create an edge for when I play out at parties. When you have four or five disc jocks playing at the same party, everybody wants to play the hottest songs, so the songs are repeated. Thinking about how I could be creative, I thought of perhaps doing a spoof of a song or putting a twist on it."

His first take was on Beyoncé's Irreplaceable, after following up on a cousin's suggestion. He then released it while playing at a party in Miami. It became an instant hit, people were talking about it even after the party."

Since then, he has released a number of songs, particularly parodies. Filled with humour, you can often hear them in his repertoire when he plays. "People start requesting dubs now. I use them to spice up the radio show. People need a little laugh, people need something jovial and Trever Off Key brings that to the show. But there is more to come from him, which isn't only comedic because he is a serious artiste too."

Part of Bambino's hectic schedule finds him in his studio in his role as a music producer. "I am asked to MC functions, as well as play at events then I do charity functions to give back, which is good. I also have to do voice-overs, commercials, personal productions and other special requests."

With a job that requires him to be at many social events, he prefers leisure activities that include his wife and son.

Another facet to Bambino's personality is that he loves cooking. "I am a boss chef! I like to cook steaks and most chicken dishes. Anything pon de grill, me mash up that! I can do Jamaican dishes but nothing too complicated like nuh 'a la' nuttin," he jokes.

It is, therefore, no surprise that Bambino loves to eat. "I like food. At Christmas, I can't wait! I will attend up to five Christmas dinners and still take some of the food home. I have friends who sing about food because they love it, maybe I caught the bug."

Church attendance was also big in the home while growing up with his three siblings. "I grew up in a Christian home and I had to go to church every Sunday, return home, watch a matinee, sleep, eat and we would be lucky if we didn't have to go to church again for young people's meeting." Another strict family rule meant that they had to return home early from parties, so when others were talking about the time they had, he pretended he was there till late.

But it was all good, as both parents provided a strong family structure. Bambino credits his mother's huge record collection for his appreciation of music. As for his love for food, he credits his father who was a restaurant operator.

latoya.grindley@gleanerjm.com