BY BRIAN BONITTO—
Associate Editor —
Pliers–
ON Saturday morning, thousands of Americans poured into the streets to celebrate the news that Joe Biden was named president-elect of the United States. His running mate is Kamala Harris, who is of Indian and Jamaican descent.
“It gives a nice vibes to know that this island of Jamaica can produce such great people. I am proud of her for being the first African American woman to hold that position. Mi really feel good,” Pliers told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
Pliers also has reasons to celebrate. One of the viral celebratory videos doing the rounds on social media has scores of people partying to his cover version of Bam Bam.
“Some people from England sen’ it to me. A when mi wake up Saturday and look pon mi Facebook, the amount a people a repost it and a comment was in the thousands… It gone viral,” he said of 3.01 minute clip.
“I feel great because Bam Bam was local. I take it international. How you think the people dem a play it? Dem nuh just know it, dem know it long time. Is I take it all over the world — from Italy, Germany, Russia, Estonia, Spain. Is I take it around the world and mek it be known global, because it was a festival tune,” he continued.
Originally done by Toots and the Maytals, Bam Bam was the winning entry for the Jamaica Festival Song Competition in 1966. Toots Hibbert, 77, front man of Toots and the Maytals, died on September 11, 2020 of complications brought on by COVID-19. He is scheduled to be interred in the National Heroes’ Park in Kingston next Sunday.
Pliers said he is not surprised by the popularity of his version as it was part of repertoire during international tours. He recounts the day it was recorded.
“When I recorded Murder She Wrote [with Chaka Demos], I was leaving the studio and after making about four or five steps, I turned back. Bam Bam a ring a bell inna mi head because mi know the song from mi a one likkle kid and I said to guitarist Lloyd ‘Gitsy’ Willis: ‘I woulda love to do Bam Bam pon dis riddim but I don’t know all of the song’. And him say: ‘No man, sing what you know’. And mi go inna the studio and sing it. So mi record two song the same day — Bam Bam and Murder She Wrote,” he said.
Pliers’s version of Bam Bam was done on the Jet Star Records label.
“It’s great, wonderful work. When you put in great work, wonderful result is there. Music is not a two-week or three-week thing. Music is an everlasting thing. We born and come hear some music, and our children come listen it and our children’s children a go come listen it, because them song deh sweet,” he said.
Pliers (given name Everton Bonner) is part of the dynamic duo Chaka Demus and Pliers. Both enjoyed relatively successful solo careers before collaborating in the early 1990s. The duo’s hits include Tease Me, She Don’t Let Nobody and Murder She Wrote.
Pliers, as a solo act, is also known for hit songs including Your Love Is Burning and Barbara. He recently released Real Warrior with his sibling Richie Spice.
You must log in to post a comment.