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[ArticleMedia]
Thursday, September 24, 2009
By Aubri Snell
“When I started to grow my hair and I got expelled from school, I knew that music was going to be my future. I thought ‘This is what I have to do now’ because I just sacrificed my education. School in Barbados is very different than in the United States because we were a British colony; you wear a uniform, your hair has to be a certain length. When I stepped out to do this that’s when I started to take music really seriously. I knew my hair would be a big part of my image. I knew there was no going back.”
It’s an intriguing tale, the rebel with a cause. But 18-year-old Jaicko [pronounced Jay-ko], has long been the author of his own destiny. Though he’s matter-of-fact about his forthcoming album on Capitol Records –“It’s life through the eyes of a 18-year-old”– this is an artist with a lot to say. The native of Barbados is very much culling the classic American story: an immigrant who comes to our shores armed only with the best intents and an idea he believes has currency. The plan: “Caribbean-infused music: it’s a bit of Barbados brought to America. Music fans will want to listen to me all day. Caribbean fans will want to listen to me all day.” In this vein, Jaicko is a far cry from the current wave of teenybopper talents; no skin-deep musical charlatan, he writes and produces much of his own music.
In looking at Jaicko, doubt seems a foreign concept. In hearing his music, it’s a word utterly stricken from the lexicon. He’s concocted an intoxicating island brew that washes over the listener as readily as a Caribbean swell. Leading the charge is “Oh Yeah,” an effervescent anthem boasting an infectious hook and Jaicko’s tongue-in-cheek sensibilities. The bouncing beat + Jaicko’s lightly-lilted vocals = this song is a no-doubter.
Jaicko personifies harmony: between cultures, genres, ages, genders. His particular brand of music is set to shove aside the driftwood on American airwaves. “My lane,” he grins, “is wide open. This is something that I have been trying to do for years, to break out internationally. I built a fanbase back in Barbados so it’s a good feeling to take to the States and the rest of the world now.” Soon, the rest of the world will know that very good feeling, too.”
Source: www.Gomoxie.org
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