Forty years ago when he started as a music producer, Bunny Gemini had no desire to become an artiste. But two years ago, he had a change of heart and recently launched his singing career as Bunny Qawi.
So Dem Plan, a 14-song album, introduces the new phase of his career. Like most of the albums and songs he produced during the 1980’s and 1990’s, it is released by his Record Factory label.
“To tell the truth, I was a little apprehensive when I began recording because I never knew I could rise to that level,” Qawi admitted.
He wrote all the songs for So Dem Plan, which was recorded with the assistance of veteran musicians like bassist Andrew Campbell, saxophonist Tony Green and guitarist Phillip Porter.
Most of the songs have a live, horn-hooked sound, reminiscent of classic Record Factory productions by Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs and Barry Brown.
Several tracks, such as Arise and Praise Jah, He That Sitteth in The Heavens and Jah Holy Book, are spiritual. According to Qawi, “Mi sit close to the Father so I wrote songs to express that.”
He said an African friend suggested he use the name Qawi which means ‘The strong one’ to reflect his new journey.
“Obviously, it’s up to people to say if they like the album, but I think I did a pretty good job,” he said.
Born Anthony Dehaney in Kingston, Bunny Qawi excelled in academics and sports while at Ardenne High School. He played as a midfielder in the Manning Cup for his alma mater and later earned a degree in physical education from York University in Toronto, Canada.
Returning to Jamaica in the late 1970’s, he coached Grantham College.
His first production, done in 1977, was a song called My Father’s Land by a gangly deejay named Eek-A-Mouse. Songs and albums by Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs and Frankie Paul followed, as well as Barry Brown, Yami Bolo and George Faith.
The highlight of Bunny Gemini’s career came in 1997 when Isaacs’s Mr Cool, which he produced, was nominated for Best Reggae Album at the Grammy Awards.
While he is proud of the work he did as a producer, Qawi prefers to focus on his career as an artiste.
“To me, this is more than just music. This is a revival,” he said.
— Howard Campbell
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