interview
and we belong to institutions who
come together and try to come up
with solutions to their problems.
What can fans expect from your
forthcoming album?
More righteousness, more love,
more life, more vibes, more
Rastaman inspiration, more nice
lyrics, more melody and a beautiful
album to comfort the soul and help
you see through the problems of
today. Rastafari! More love!
Why Ghetto Youth-ology?
This album is for the youths to give
them strength, to let them know
that education is the key, to clear
up all the corruption and to look to
the future and to tell them to keep
their heads high and just praise the
almighty and believe in yourself
and know that you can make it.
Your current single, Black Man
In The White House is about
President Barack Obama. Do
OBAMA FAN: “Obama can be
you believe that Obama will be
an inspiration to the youth”
able to solve the problems that
deprived youths face?
Sizzla Kalonji
The problems people face were
present way before Obama, but we
just hope and pray that someone
with a good heart has the people’s
The conscious reggae and dancehall
best interests in mind, and knows
that the family is the basic unit of
grandmaster talks about his childhood
society and so you’ve got to keep
the family together. We just hope
and pray that Obama can be an
B
orn Miguel Collins and raised I saw my friends being killed, inspiration to the youth and try to
in the ghetto community of people suffering, people dying, make things a little better for them.
August Town, St Mary, people catching diseases, poverty,
Jamaica to Rastafarian parents, political warfare, and parents who What key messages do you have
the now 33-year-old man better can’t find food for their kids. to share with people?
known by his stage name Sizzla, To love and help one another, live
is a prime example that anything How did you succeed in your good, share and be kind. Love is
is possible so long as you put your pursuit of your music career? the only thing, there is nothing else
mind to it. Having experienced Through perseverance – you’ve Rastafari! Continue in education,
extreme hardship throughout his got to be educated about what educate yourself, educate your
younger years, Sizzla is one of you want to do, about where family, and help others. That is
the most prolific leaders of the you’re going, and about the music Reggae, that is Rastafari, that is
conscious reggae/dancehall in general. So I really studied the our culture, that’s our life, that’s the
movement to date. music industry. I knew early on that way we life, and we bring it all out
Flavour caught up with the laid music was where I wanted to push in the music.
back reggae legend for an talk my energy, so I started to go to live
in anticipation of his forthcoming sound systems and working night Why do you think you are still a
album release, Ghetto Youth-ology. and day in different communities top artist in the reggae scene?
and from there it just propelled me Because I think I’m uplifting the
How did the stage name Sizzla forwards to where I am today. spirits of people and enlightening
Kalonji come about?
That name come about based
upon the attitudes people have of
“I think I’m uplifting the spirits of people and
youths growing up in the ghetto.
enlightening the youth of the world”
The youth get a feel for music, the
energy, the fire, and they just want
to express themselves and feel Now that you are in a position to the youth of the world. People want
that vibe. [Jamstyle producer and do so, in what ways do you give you to keep providing them with
mentor] Mr. Harris called me Sizzla back to your community? righteousness, and this is what I
– he thought I was just too hot! I organise concerts and help out do so this is why I think the people
the local school by paying the continue to like my music.
ds by Susanne Singh
What types of things did you school fees, electricity bills and
or
experience as a young child water bills. We have community Ghetto Youth-ology will be in
W growing up in the ghetto? projects to help educate people stores nationwide on April 21
13
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