By Shereita Grizzle—

Melbourne Douglas, more popularly known in the entertainment sphere as ‘dBurnz’, is an up-and-coming roots reggae artist. While many may be familiar with dBurnz the artist, others may find it interesting to know that the entertainer also has a budding acting career.

Having been recently chosen for one of the lead roles in the highly anticipated Marley musical Nesta’s Rock, Douglas is more than ready to show the world that talent makes all the difference in a tough industry. He captured the hearts and attention of the judging panel and managed to cop one of the leading roles in the upcoming production, beating out hundreds of other talented Jamaicans in the September auditions.

Douglas will play Ness, a teenager who is filled with self-doubt about who he is, and who he wants to become. However, by the end of the production, Ness discovers himself. He no longer struggles with issues of insecurity as he finds out he always possessed the qualities necessary to be the person he was meant to be.

While admitting that he has always had a passion and a love for the performing arts, Douglas told The Sunday Gleaner that the part of Ness left him with mixed feelings.

MIXED FEELINGS

“I had mixed feelings upon getting the part. I knew that this role would have been a very challenging one, a challenge that I wasn’t sure at first if I was ready to accept,” he revealed.

Following some convincing from those in charge of the production, all doubts disappeared and Douglas was ready to take on the character of Ness. However, his acting skills were put to the ultimate test when he couldn’t readily relate to the character he would be playing. “It was very hard to relate to the character personally because we have totally opposite personalities,” he said. Though admitting that the issue has posed some challenges during rehearsals thus far, the young entertainer is confident that the final product, which premieres in January, will be a show stopper. “People can expect to see a different side of dBurnz, but the usual energetic, talented, and entertaining performer will still be present.”

Though he had his reservations about this new role, Douglas is no stranger to the theatre, having been part of the cast for the award-winning musical Jonkanoo Jamoboree, written by Aston Cook and directed by Michael Holgate. His last theatrical appearance was in Deborah Binns’ A Small Room, which was directed by Cathi Levy.

In addition to being a full-time student at the University of the West Indies, Douglas is also currently making waves in the music industry. His debut single, Run Babylon, has been receiving good rotation on local airwaves and the accompanying music video has been getting much attention and support. He is also set to release two new singles, Gun Man and Revolution, as well as a mix tape with DJ Stamma of Riddim Radio.

shereita.grizzle@gleanerjm.com