Busy on his SUMMER promotional tour in the US for his new album Contagious, pjm favourite-tarrus riley took time out to have a talk with us....
http://issuu.com/tw84/docs/pjm-september-october-2009-digital
PJM: How has the promotional tour been going?
TR: So far so good, everywhere we go the people come out and support it.
PJM: So tell me about Contagious, what inspired the title?
TR: Well a whole lot of things inspired the title, the first thing is: the song Love’s Contagious and in that song we are about spreading love. We are not about spreading no swine flu or no germs…. (laughs) or anything like that. So we decided that we wanted to spread love so we said okay we’re going to write a song and using medical term shows you that love is contagious.
I chose not to call the album; Love’s Contagious rather than Contagious because it’s not just a lover’s album alone. It has a lot of songs that can really build a vibes. And that’s why its contagious because we want to spread it to everyone. And little by little more people are gravitating to what we are about….it’s spreading…so we just named it Contagious.
PJM: The BBC has called Parables a “modern classic” and Contagious a “genre transcending statement”. Now with Johnny from Reggae Sumfest labeling you the Prince of Reggae, how do you feel about that recognition?
TR: Well, Jah know, we give thanks to all well wishers and to those who support the music. I am not here to be a prophet or a prince, but if that’s how Johnny feels that big up to Johnny – we appreciate the vibes and words of encouragement. We are about the music, and time will tell.
To be honest, I’m really interested in being a Prince or King of music labels and the [tussle] of who is better than who. I’m just doing my thing and making music. I don’t compete with musicians, I love all artistes.
PJM: What was it like performing at Reggae Sumfest this year?
TR: That was good! Being home and representing on such an international platform; I really enjoyed it, it was very good. Plus with the launch of Contagious, it was jut nice.
PJM:One this album you worked with Dean Fraser again, is there any artistes you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
TR: Well in addition there are a lot of other good producers on this as well and that’s what’s really made this album so different.
PJM: So you would say this album is fully loaded….you good?
TR: Well, yes I like it and I wouldn’t give anything I didn’t like. But you can also go out and get it and be the judge.
PJM: Are there any awards you’d like to win for Contagious?
TR: Well, I’m not really into the whole awards thing….we’re into the music. The awards are nice and pretty to look at and they encourage you; but we never really made music for that. Award this and award that, because maybe you hear it and don’t like it, but that doesn’t mean its not good music. People will have their opinions and can say what they want.
You put your nice clothes for the red carpet….all of that is great. But for me, there are bigger things like the music and how it makes people feel. And that’s why I love performing live and delivering that vibez to the audience.
PJM:So what do your parents think about the album?
TR: Well my mother and father support it fully, especially my mother she was always pushing me in the early stages and my father is brethren- nothing has changed. They love the work I am doing and that’s good. And remember to always honour your mother and father….you’ll live longer.
PJM: How do you feel about people who bootleg or illegally download your music?
TR: Well they are cutting the musician’s foot short and robbing my livelihood from me all in one go. I am a man who buys music and yes, we understand that people are going to want things from time to time and they are going to do it[bootleg/ download illegally] but people just need to be considerate that this is our work…. and how we survive. Would you want someone doing that to you?
PJM: Yes, we agree, so tell us what albums are you listening to now?
TR: Who am I listening to now? Well I think you need to ask who it is I am not listening to (laughs).
PJM:(laughs) That’s good.
TR: Well as I talked about before, I love a lot of artistes and I just listen…
PJM: Is there anyone who is really standing out to you now?
TR: There is a whole heap of people standing out for different reasons too…like Konshens, Chino and Ifrica are just a few. It’s not just about one artiste at one time….I Wayne…Sizzla …..its a different mood. Now if you want some foreign music, I listen Amy Whinehouse and some Jazmine Sullivan-who was at Reggae Sumfest as well.
PJM: Well our magazine targets Caribbean women and we have a readership of over 35,000, when they’re listening to Contagious and hear Start Anew and Good Girl Gone Bad what do you want them to take away from that?
TR: Well I want them to listen to the song. Take for instance Start Anew……well do that start anew! When you’re in a position or a relationship where you are destroying yourself- start anew.
No man is perfect. I, Tarrus Riley am not a prophet or a priest, I am not perfect. Yet still we do not want anyone in a destructive vibes or situation.
Good Girl Gone Bad approaches the same way as well by reaching out to young girls. Just trying to get across – don’t grow up too fast.
My music is about making you think, its not bashing you, its encouraging you to use your brain and think.
You should know that Yendi and I did a campaign in schools- against domestic violence and all violence. We went to the schools in the inner city, talking about self abuse and self- destruction, bleaching and sex…a lot of topics that people are not talking to them about.
PJM: That’s great! And really needs to be highlighted in the media, so we can do our part to get that message out.
TR: Well you know why I never highlighted it, because to me it wasn’t a publicity stunt, it’s something I did from my heart. We never got any funding from anyone, that was all us.
Other artistes such as Bugle were also involved and took of their time to talk and reason with the youths on these issues. And once that was done we performed and it was all for free, we didn’t charge the youths anything.
And that’s just one of other things that we’ve done.
PJM: So what will you be doing once you get back home?
TR: Well I’m going to rest and eat some good food and charge up myself.
PJM: What you gonna eat when you get back?
TR: Well I eat to live, so I’ll eat the ital apart from the fish out the water.
PJM: So that’s your favourite meal?
TR: (laughs heartily) No, I don’t have any favourite meal, I just eat, I just eat…..everything else good.
PJM: Are you watch the race tomorrow with Usain?
TR: Of course, I have to watch it!
PJM: Who do you think is going to win?
TR: (Laughs) Well, you done know already …. you done know... (Laughs)
Usain Bolt later went on to win the 100 metres and 200 meters in world record times of 9.58 and 19.19 respectively at the World Championships in Berlin, Germany. The Jamaica team captured a total of 13 medals, placing second on the medal tally.
