Barbara Ellington, Lifestyle Editor

'King of the Dancehall', Moses 'Beenie Man' Davis always knew he was special. Even in the rough childhood years, he marched to the beat of his own drum. It seemed that music was always calling him, and those sounds resonated better than the shouts of discipline from his mother, so he heeded music's call, even if it meant repeatedly running away from home.

This entertainer has a Pied Piper-like effect on a crowd. And for this reporter, it came as a shock that 30 years in his career had gone by so quickly. So it was only natural that I sought answers from him and in a candid interview to mark this mammoth milestone, I probed. Beenie Man had a lot to say about his colourful life, but he also held a lot in check - deliberately.

"Music is my life and has been my life from I knew myself. I was singing from I could talk. I used to sing the grocery list to the shopkeeper when mama sent me there. Everyone who knew me said I was going to be a singer," he said when asked about his introduction to music. "Singing helped me in life because I used to stammer (stutter) bad bad, so I started to sing everything," he added.

"It would take me forever to talk to the shopkeeper and the people knew it, so it was nothing to them that I was singing. Everyone who knew me always predicted I would be a singer."

Every aspect of life in his community became an opportunity to sing a song. He took from other musicians and melodies to create his own style.

And, so began his childhood escapes away from home which saw stops at various primary and high schools including Penwood and Pembroke Hall Primary, Campion College and Dinthill Technical High School (for sports) and even in Canada for brief periods. Yes, he dabbled at football, but injury put paid to that.

Even with no graduation certificates today, he said he would not go back to school, but he continuously educates and advances himself by reading historical tomes voraciously and watching documentaries. History fascinates him and gives him a chance to find out what his fore-parents went through. He also enjoys reading about places like Egypt and the African civilisation. Beenie Man says his wide-reading and street smarts are among the reasons he stressed that he cannot be tricked.

First time on a microphone

Beenie Man said he remembers first taking up a microphone at age three because his brother was a sound system operator. He performed on his first stage show at age five and recalls that back in those days, there were many monthly music contests. He won several and prize money was usually a mere $50 and a box of beer. However, being underage, he sold the beer.

But wasn't he nervous to be in the spotlight so soon? An emphatic "no" was his response. "Somehow when you hold a microphone, you overcome all the fear and the transformation begins. He said he is nervous before the show, but once onstage, it all disappears. On the other hand, he admits that overconfidence can be distracting.

Over the years he has learnt to read the audience and feel their vibe thus feeding on their energy. "You develop a keen sight and learn to see the people beyond the lights," said the master artiste. That's when he feeds on the energy of the crowd and knows exactly what to pull from his arsenal.

Mother beat him

It's a far cry from the time when at age seven, he used to be warned to stay away from the stage by his mother. "My mother used to beat me often for always going to these shows. One time when I was seven, she came right into the show for me. Everybody turned on her and told her to, 'low the youth', because I was 'nicing' up the dance," he said.

His mother is proud of him now, the poverty is behind them and she knows that although he hated discipline, he was not a dummy and her life is a lot more comfortable.

Controversies

'The Doctor' has been seen with a 'joint' or two in hand and ganja, as well as other drug, seems to be synonymous with the entertainment industry. Beenie Man thinks it's past time to decriminalise the use of ganja for recreational and medicinal purposes. He cited examples of some European countries where it can be used in some public places like coffee houses without fear of being arrested.

The King of the Dancehall is among the list of Jamaican entertainers who have earned sanctions, and even bans, from foreign producers and promoters for anti-gay utterances. But he maintains that he does not know any other way to be but heterosexual. However, he does admit that Jamaicans are agitated about the issue.

Among the other monikers he has been given are 'The Girls Dem Sugar' and he simply brushes it aside as something he got from female fans who he said think he's sweet. As for 'The Doctor', he noted that the title came after an event at the University of the West Indies where he was given a certificate titled, 'Doctor of Lyrics'.

Future

Beenie Man sees himself still riding high in the next 30 years, only better. Apart from his mother and his children, music, he insists, occupies the top three positions in his life.

"Music is my life and I don't plan to give it up. I wouldn't be anybody, I wouldn't know anybody and I wouldn't be where I am today without music. It has taken me through life from age five till now. So I cannot walk away from it," he said.

He added: "When my woman who I love to my heart leave me, all I have is music. I don't get involved in anything I can't walk away from in a few minutes, but I can't walk away from the music. I built Shocking Vibes and I walked away from it because I still have music and no one can stop that in me. They may have the gold but with music, I have a gold mine. It gives me a voice and I have the ears of the world and eyes of many," Beenie Man noted.

He is the father of eight children aged two to 18 years old and already his 12-year-old, Ashley, is showing promise. She has performed with him in the past and was scheduled to perform with him at Beenie Man Sizzle at the National Stadium last night.

Biggest audience

He disclosed that it is hard to say how big the crowds have been because sometimes when the numbers come in, organisers don't want to tell him because they don't want to give him any extra money. "I have played to hundreds of thousands of people in Belgium and in other places to as many as 125,000 people. At an army base in Japan in 1999, I played to the largest crowd ever," he stated.

Business

In spite of the glamour that accompanies stars, there are those who hit rock bottom because of bad management. And with his recent tax woes, I asked the star what shape the business side and creative control of his affairs were in.

"My money is mine," he said, adding that he owns the copyright to his material post-Shocking Vibes, so he is now moving into new directions as far as control goes. He said he has complete trust and confidence in his manager (a brother) and is very careful in his dealings.

Violence and music

On the vexed question of violence, gang affiliation and their role in the music industry, I wanted to know where Beenie Man stands on the subject. With surprising candour, he said that many popular musicians come from the same communities that produce violent gangs, so it's only natural that the two groups would interact.

"If you move out of the community, they say you switch and if you stay, they say you mix up. It is only natural that you are going to help out your friends and corner youth from your fortunes, but you don't have no control over whether they take that same money and buy guns," he said. "How you going to know?"

He admitted that many artistes have legal firearms. "They are not saints or angels, but in the business you have to know how you walk. If you go on a move and people are there who want to hurt you, you have to be able to defend yourself," he said.

Composing songs

The length of time he takes to compose a song depends on the song; it can take an hour or a week. The rhythm, bars, rhyme, pace, tempo and other factors must be considered. He said that many times the subject matter comes to him, but it's only when he's in the studio and hears it that he knows whether he has a hit on his hands. Who Am I? came just like that. "Sometimes you get lucky and you feel very excited about it," he said.

Back It Up also came quickly and he knew it would be a hit. It's a sure thing when both lyrics and rhythm are in his head at once.

barbara.ellington@gleanerjm.com

'The Doctor's' personal life

His much-publicised marriage to and break-up with entertainer D'Angel have been the subject of much discussion, so the following questions and responses on the subject ensued.