NEWS
EVENTS
Serani Interview
Reggae | Thursday 17th November 2011 | Osh
Big things are happening in a major way for this man; I’m talking about the producer, singer, songwriter artist extraordinaire Serani himself.
You’re fresh from the brighter days tour in the UK with Mavado, how are you feeling?
I’m feeling good you know because, them ladies, they like me and I like them more then they like me, you think they’d like me more!
I understand you’ve recently been signed by Universal Records?
They help promote the things on a higher level. ‘No Games’ is the first single that has made it across certain barriers.
Who were your early influences in music?
[Sings] ‘I’m lyrical gangster…murderer’ I always took to artists that have a sound…that sound different. Anything that sounds different and has a different vibe. You know what I mean, Tracy Chapman… You know when Akon came out we were like ‘Wow!’.
You are part of a production team in Jamaica, how did you make crossover from production to singing?
I wasn’t really singing I was just doing the melody. I took a beat and I wanted to sample it, but I was the only person in the studio. That’s how I am, I don’t wait for nobody to do something, I just do something. I had a listen and was like ‘This sounds good.’ At the time Mavado was hot but I was like ‘Yo, who should I put on this beat’, so I called Mavado and he kills it. I heard it when I was out and I heard some people singing my part in the song, you know ‘Gangster for life’ and I was like wow that’s me…everybody is singing my part! It didn’t happen right after, what happened was, I was in the club in a bad mood and songs were coming to me, ideas were coming too…it wasn’t like I was trying to be an artist; the artist was trying to find me.
Tell us about the production team ‘Daseca’. How did it get formed and who is in it?
Daseca is David (Anthony Harrisingh) , Serani and Craig (Harrisingh). Daseca, you feel me, two bruddas and me. Imagine I used to go school with them when I was about 9 but met up with them later in 88/89. I was already deep into music, and they weren’t but, you know, who doesn’t love music?! They liked music but didn’t know what they were going to end up doing- I was already doing it. They were chilling with me and realised how talented I was as a keyboardist. So David is the kinda dude that can do anything…we can do anything we put our minds to, like sports, we can do any sports we put our mind to. As I said he likes music, he started to do music just like that and right now he’s one of the baddest musicians and producers I know. That’s how the whole thing started; in 2001 he made some crazy beats, the rest is history.
Lyrically you seem to tell stories without the usual clichéd phrases, do you purposefully try and create something unique or does that just come out?
Well, if you be yourself you cannot be somebody else…you wouldn’t sound like nobody else. I’m always trying to be me, saying what’s on my mind not like I’m trying to follow someone else. Everything has been said before, I’m just saying it in my own words.
In your songs you cater for the girls in tunes like ‘She Loves Me’, when you sing about the ‘Streetlife’ you don’t glorify it, you talk about the sorrow and violence that occurs. As an artist, do you think you have a responsibility to entertain and produce something that sends out a positive message?
We as artists are role models to the kids especially, so we have a big responsibility. We have to know not to send out a negative message to them, even though I am talking about reality we have to send a positive message through. (To) All the youngsters and gangsters just put the gun down, I beg you to just put the gun down.
Serani, since you have just joined Universal are you going do some R&B or just stick to the Reggae?
Definitely more towards my kinda music or else I’d just be another R&B artist. There’s nothing wrong with being an R&B artist, but I gotta be true to myself. I’m not saying I won’t be featured or do R&B stuff with other artists but like I said, I gotta be real to myself. Definitely I gotta make my Jamaican music, that’s me, I’m Jamaican.
You’ve worked and toured with Mavado, how would you describe that man?
Gangster for life, [laughs] when speaking about Mavado one of the first thing I say is that he’s very talented, one of the most talented artists I know. Melody for days, lyrics for days…contrary to what most people believe, he’s a talented writer as well. He’s had a lot of success put on him and he still manages to be decent to work with. It’s not just we’re artists, in the alliance; we’re bruddas- you can see the love. For Dancehall, we’re starting our own movement…starting an army…Mavados breaking out, I’m breaking out, it only means more radio time for Dancehall.
Have you got any last words for our readers?
All my hard working people, all my people out there; I just want you to know nothing in life is easy. You gotta really work, to attain anything you want. In everything you do there is going to be obstacles but you gotta break through them. When you’re having that rough period the only thing that comes after that is success, you gotta go to the bottom of the pit before you reach the top. Nothing in life is easy, life is tough if you ask me. All the girls; I love you. From Mavado and the alliance, we’re bringing it!
You’re fresh from the brighter days tour in the UK with Mavado, how are you feeling?
I’m feeling good you know because, them ladies, they like me and I like them more then they like me, you think they’d like me more!
I understand you’ve recently been signed by Universal Records?
They help promote the things on a higher level. ‘No Games’ is the first single that has made it across certain barriers.
Who were your early influences in music?
[Sings] ‘I’m lyrical gangster…murderer’ I always took to artists that have a sound…that sound different. Anything that sounds different and has a different vibe. You know what I mean, Tracy Chapman… You know when Akon came out we were like ‘Wow!’.
You are part of a production team in Jamaica, how did you make crossover from production to singing?
I wasn’t really singing I was just doing the melody. I took a beat and I wanted to sample it, but I was the only person in the studio. That’s how I am, I don’t wait for nobody to do something, I just do something. I had a listen and was like ‘This sounds good.’ At the time Mavado was hot but I was like ‘Yo, who should I put on this beat’, so I called Mavado and he kills it. I heard it when I was out and I heard some people singing my part in the song, you know ‘Gangster for life’ and I was like wow that’s me…everybody is singing my part! It didn’t happen right after, what happened was, I was in the club in a bad mood and songs were coming to me, ideas were coming too…it wasn’t like I was trying to be an artist; the artist was trying to find me.
Tell us about the production team ‘Daseca’. How did it get formed and who is in it?
Daseca is David (Anthony Harrisingh) , Serani and Craig (Harrisingh). Daseca, you feel me, two bruddas and me. Imagine I used to go school with them when I was about 9 but met up with them later in 88/89. I was already deep into music, and they weren’t but, you know, who doesn’t love music?! They liked music but didn’t know what they were going to end up doing- I was already doing it. They were chilling with me and realised how talented I was as a keyboardist. So David is the kinda dude that can do anything…we can do anything we put our minds to, like sports, we can do any sports we put our mind to. As I said he likes music, he started to do music just like that and right now he’s one of the baddest musicians and producers I know. That’s how the whole thing started; in 2001 he made some crazy beats, the rest is history.
Lyrically you seem to tell stories without the usual clichéd phrases, do you purposefully try and create something unique or does that just come out?
Well, if you be yourself you cannot be somebody else…you wouldn’t sound like nobody else. I’m always trying to be me, saying what’s on my mind not like I’m trying to follow someone else. Everything has been said before, I’m just saying it in my own words.
In your songs you cater for the girls in tunes like ‘She Loves Me’, when you sing about the ‘Streetlife’ you don’t glorify it, you talk about the sorrow and violence that occurs. As an artist, do you think you have a responsibility to entertain and produce something that sends out a positive message?
We as artists are role models to the kids especially, so we have a big responsibility. We have to know not to send out a negative message to them, even though I am talking about reality we have to send a positive message through. (To) All the youngsters and gangsters just put the gun down, I beg you to just put the gun down.
Serani, since you have just joined Universal are you going do some R&B or just stick to the Reggae?
Definitely more towards my kinda music or else I’d just be another R&B artist. There’s nothing wrong with being an R&B artist, but I gotta be true to myself. I’m not saying I won’t be featured or do R&B stuff with other artists but like I said, I gotta be real to myself. Definitely I gotta make my Jamaican music, that’s me, I’m Jamaican.
You’ve worked and toured with Mavado, how would you describe that man?
Gangster for life, [laughs] when speaking about Mavado one of the first thing I say is that he’s very talented, one of the most talented artists I know. Melody for days, lyrics for days…contrary to what most people believe, he’s a talented writer as well. He’s had a lot of success put on him and he still manages to be decent to work with. It’s not just we’re artists, in the alliance; we’re bruddas- you can see the love. For Dancehall, we’re starting our own movement…starting an army…Mavados breaking out, I’m breaking out, it only means more radio time for Dancehall.
Have you got any last words for our readers?
All my hard working people, all my people out there; I just want you to know nothing in life is easy. You gotta really work, to attain anything you want. In everything you do there is going to be obstacles but you gotta break through them. When you’re having that rough period the only thing that comes after that is success, you gotta go to the bottom of the pit before you reach the top. Nothing in life is easy, life is tough if you ask me. All the girls; I love you. From Mavado and the alliance, we’re bringing it!
