For his birthday currently, the man from August City, Duane Stephenson, will be holding a ‘meditate and chill’ vibe, as he presents thanks for a different 12 months, though calming at household with family. For the revered singer and songwriter, this is strange in a person feeling, considering that he’s normally on the road at this time of the 12 months, relocating from a person live performance to a different. On the other hand, he told The Gleaner that he was hardly ever a person to have above-the-top celebrations even if he occurred to be at household.
“It would just be a working day at household with family, and some friends would perhaps pass as a result of. Practically nothing elaborate. Thankfully, I received utilized to that,” he mentioned, sounding a bit muffled since he was chatting as a result of a mask. “When you noticed a handful of people sporting these things in general public a thirty day period and a 50 % ago, you thought it was ridiculous, but search at everybody now,” he commented.
Duane, who experienced taken some time off from the new music past November, and experienced postponed some concert events for wellbeing factors, was ready to fully get back into the swing of things at the close of February when the globe changed. The release date for his approaching album, Exile To Dreadites, at first scheduled for November 2019, was pushed to March and has been put on maintain once again owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 14-observe album of all brand name new songs sees Duane operating with producers such as Lamar Brown and Monty Savory, with his musical mentor, saxophonist extraordinaire, Dean Fraser, overseeing the whole undertaking.
As is the case with almost every artiste, Duane has skilled a string of cancellations involving Europe and the United States, and he does not visualize things getting back on observe prior to the close of this 12 months.
“Germany has formally cancelled all their festivals for the summer months and France has made us know that we need to be examined for the coronavirus in get to get the Schengen visa when they reopen their borders. This does not apply to the United kingdom, but their visa software sort is like an encyclopaedia,” he said.
The singer sees the outcomes of this virus as a wake-up connect with for the members of his fraternity, as regards fiscal financial commitment. “We normally listening to that we have to have to get concerned in other ventures outside of new music, and see it here now, everything arrive to pass,” he pointed out, adding that he experienced taken the guidance and is employing this time to get extra concerned in his other company.
In 2008, Duane Stephenson launched his first album, From August City, manufactured by Dean Fraser. Billboard journal named it as a person of six albums “collectively galvanising a roots reggae revival”. His second album, Black Gold, was nominated for the 2010 Album of the 12 months at Jamaica’s Excellence in New music and Enjoyment Awards. Duane also notably collaborated with legendary musicians The Wailers to publish A Move For Mankind, which was completed in reward of the United Nations Entire world Food items Programme.
His 2014 album, Dangerously Roots, solidified him as a reggae singer of fantastic top quality.