By Colin Thompson—

Conscious reggae dance hall singer Admiral Tibet has offered some helpful advice to Bermuda’s youths.

The veteran artist, who will perform with Courtney Melody and Half Pint at next month’s Annual Veterans in Action Show at CedarBridge Academy, has urged the Island’s youth to abstain from antisocial behaviour that can only lead them down a path to destruction.

“The youths are younger and can easily be influenced by the negative things around them,” he told The Royal Gazette. “They are weaker but we can’t condemn them, we must show them respect and try and teach them.

“I want the youths to be strong because a lot of them lose their life because they’re trying to put their hat where their hand can’t reach it. They’re trying to go in the fast lane and some of them turn to drugs and all kind of things. But I want the youths to always be strong and let them know that the gun business is a joke and the drug business destroys them.”

The Jamaican entertainer also urged local youths to practise safe sex.

“Sex is really a natural thing that Jah created,” he said. “But now you have a whole heap of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) going around so I always leave a message for the youths to practise safe sex.

“What’s taking place is a fulfillment of the time. Once upon a time it (negativity) was in some places but right now the whole world is involved so that’s why I try and talk to and influence the youths in a positive way. I just want the youths to be strong and overcome certain things because there’s a lot of temptation out there in all different shapes and forms.”

Among Admiral Tibet’s hits is the track titled ‘Serious Time’, released in the 1990s, which reminds listeners of the troubling times we live in.

“The time is getting even more serious,” he stressed. “There’s always two ways about things. You have right and wrong, negative and positive good and bad just like you have God and the Devil.”

The singer is one of the few artists from the early days of digital reggae to focus on conscious themes in his lyrics.

“Music is a powerful thing and not just to make money from,” he explained. “I want to make money, of course, because I need money to survive. But what is more important to me is to keep it conscious and feel good within myself.

“I feel good when I go out in the street and meet people who were thinking certain way but then after listening to some of my songs they start to think back on a more positive level. Those are the things that make me feel good and I think I was born that way because when I was a youth growing up I would always be writing songs and it would be something conscious — either about the struggle of life, the system or the negativity in society. I’ve never yet thought to do something like what people would call slack music. No, that’s not my thing.”

Admiral Tibet has vowed to make those in attendance at next month’s show at CedarBridge Academy “sweat”.

“I want Bermudian people to travel with a towel to the show because the performance is going to be so energetic,” he said. “They are going to dance until they sweat.

“I always try to perform better than the last show I do. The last show I did was Saturday night in Orlando so the next show is supposed to be even better which is Bermuda.

“I have never done my best. The best is yet to come and that’s what motivates me to keep going because I’m going for the best which I’ve never done yet. Any time you say you’ve done your best, that means there’s no better to come because you finished right there and done your best.”

Admiral Tibet performed with the late Sugar Minott, Admiral Bailey and King Yellowman during his previous visit to these shores more than a decade ago.

The upcoming Annual Veterans in Action show will be held on November 10.