JAMAICAN singer-songwriter Diana King opened up about her life and music in a recent interview with the Times of India newspaper.
King, 45, was a guest performer at Club Raasta in New Dehli, last weekend.
In the interview, she speaks about her musical influences, running away from home at age 12, her connections to India, and her coming out as as a member of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community in 2012.
“I remember Facebook was the place to be in 2012. Facebook is where everyone is declaring their lives. Had it been before that, it would probably have been in an interview like this one. I wanted to be as true to myself as I could be. But it wasn’t easy because I’m an artist and I’m in the public eye. I remember that there was no one like me (from the LGBT community) when I was growing up. I no longer lived in Jamaica, so when I visit Jamaica and I meet all these young people from the LGBT community today… just the look on their faces… it makes me feel like it was my duty. I just had to do it,” she said.
As for her Indian connections, she said she has always been curious about her heritage, noting that she has roots in Bangalore, the capital of the state of Karnataka in south India. King is from Spanish Town, which is home to many people of East Indian origin.
“The music I’ve been listening to since childhood is very similar to Indian music. I’m familiar with old Bollywood songs because my mom and grandmom had all these old Bollywood records that they would play when I was a kid. But I prefer all those songs as opposed to the new Bollywood music I’ve heard recently. There’s something about Indian music – it makes you feel high without smoking or drinking, because I don’t smoke or drink. Among Indian artists, I love King Jassim, an Indian contemporary reggae artist, who performed with me. I love his sound and his style,” she said.
King also commented on the growing acceptance of reggae/dancehall in India.
“I think reggae is gaining popularity. Unlike EDM, which is very ‘don’t think and have fun’, reggae is very spiritual, very much like Indian classical music.”
King is best known for the 1995 hit song Shy Guy.
–By Richard Johnson
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