By Howard Campbell–
It has been six years since singer Vijahn wrote a song he vowed never to record until the time was right. Three months ago, he was encouraged by a friend to make it official by entering Jamaica’s most enduring competition.
Move To The Bassline is the title of the single, one of 10 entries in this year’s Festival Song Contest. For the 31-year-old Vijahn, it is more than a seasonal composition.
“It wasn’t built as a Festival song, I don’t want to confine it,” he said. “I want it to compete with other reggae songs.”
Move to The Bassline is produced by veteran musician Mikey Chung, who also played guitar on the track which has other seasoned musicians in bassist Lloyd Parks, trombonist Calvin ‘Bubbles’ Cameron and keyboardist Franklyn ‘Bubbler’ Waul.
Chung, a former member of the Now Generation and Peter Tosh’s Word, Sound and Power bands, shares Vijahn’s idea of not limiting Move to The Bassline to ‘Festival’.
“What I loved about the song when I first heard it was, it’s not about ackee and saltfish an’ things like dat. Toots an’ Eric Donaldson do dat years ago,” Chung told the Sunday Observer.
The vibe of Move to The Bassline, Vijahn points out, is distinctly Jamaican.
“It’s not dealing with the physical aspect of Jamaica but it’s still cultural. I’m talking about how we love to enjoy ourselves,” he said.
Born in the Papine area of St Andrew, Vijahn (given name Anthony Edwards) was raised in Portland where he attended Titchfield High School.
A career in music was always high on his list. He entered talent contests as Bones, his nickname from high school. Ten years ago, he took a change in moniker after embracing Rastafari. As Vijahn, he has since recorded for producers including Cleveland Scott and Lloyd ‘John John’ James Jnr.
Some artists such as previous winners and contest favourites Eric Donaldson, Stanley Beckford and Roy Rayon, have struggled to shake the tag of ‘Festival singer’.
Vijahn has no such concern.
“This is a launching ground. In the long run people will know what Vijahn is about,” he said.
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