Sunday, February 21, 2010

20 Questions: Denyque Interview (Reggae Month Feature)

You mi want every body dun know/ ah you alone can make me feel Oh so Good/uh-uh-uh Oh so Good yah.....Tell me you've heard this catchy Soca err Reggae chune.....LOL...so really which is it??? Soca or Reggae? Well that is all part of the discussion that we are continuing here in our special Reggae month feature. What is Reggae? Is it still Reggae when it's fused with other genres? These are some of the issues we touch in our special 20 Questions feature during the month of February. Let's see what Denyque Dontre, rising Reggae star and the face of Wray and Nephew has to say about it.




1. Do you remember your first introduction to Reggae music?
I was a toddler bobbing my head to Bob Marley tunes. Haha. My mom would listen to them most times & I grew to love them.


2. When people think of Reggae they generally think Bob Marley, peace, positive vibrations, conscious lyrics. How do YOU define Reggae and what does it mean to you?
For me, Reggae is definitely a means of emotional expression. Recent reggae/culture songs have a lot of depth & emotion and I think that's what I love so much about it. Eg. I-Octane's song Lose A Friend.. Amazing song.


3. I personally think that Reggae is a lot about saying what you mean and meaning what you say. Do you feel any pressure from the commercialization of music to say things just to sell records?
I think a lot of records do just that but reggae is just more straight forward. I feel no pressure whatsoever right now because music is a medium of expression.


4. Are there any trends in the industry that you welcome and/or that you would like to see go away?
I definitely welcome the trends that make sense.


5. What would you say is your greatest contribution to Reggae music thus far?
I would say the connection people have with my music. I love how I have grown & continue to grow in the industry. Always giving thanks!


6. Reggae has been blended with so many genres from opera to Rock and Roll, to Hip-Hop and even Bangra. Is this a plus for the industry or a loss of some sort?
It's always a plus in my eyes because we as a people, especially musically, love when we can vibe certain things & break new ground.


7. Is Reggae month really necessary? What meaning does it hold for you?
It does have it's place. For me Reggae Month means going back to your roots & it's my birth month soo I'm not complaining :)

Click HERE to read Denyque's bio, listen to her music and see what she responds to our 20 Questions!