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Duane Stephenson: "Dean Fraser has always been there behind the music."

Two weeks ago Duane Stephenson gave a concert in Gent together with I-Octane and Tarrus Riley. You already had two interviews with I-Octane and Tarrus; now we give you Duane!

Is it your most extended tour in Europe?

Yes it is the first time I have been here for so long.  I came over to do one off shows before but now I’ve been here for two and a half weeks.  It’s coming close to the end… and I don’t mind… Its not that I don’t love the place and the people, but the weather is not really my style.  I leave here 30° below and go back home where it’s 96 degrees in the shade! (Laugh)

Is it really hard?

Yes it is.  You really have to be disciplined to actually have a voice for three weeks.  You have to try as best possible to stay away from the cold and fight against elements.  It’s easy to get a throat infection because of how the place is cold.  You have to get discipline : for example you can’t really go out and visit the romantic Paris, you have to stay in the hotel and try to keep warm. Apart from that the vibe’s been great on this tour.

The collaboration between you and Dean Frazer goes further than just this Tour.

Yes !  He produced the album “From August Town”.  And he’s also the main producer on the upcoming album, which will be out in two months and will be called “Black Gold”.  Look out for that one!

Dean Frazer influenced me greatly. The first record that I ever did professionally back in the days was done by him.  We’ve been coming from that.  He involved me in backing vocals for some artists. He got me into writing for other people.  He has greatly helped me to build myself up as an artist and even building up as a character. He’s always been there behind the music.

For your first album you directly signed up with VP Records, having a contract for a second album.  That’s a great luck for an upcoming artist…

Yes it is.  But they knew me since I was a part of a group called To-Isis.  They’ve always known also about my writing skills because I did that mega-hit “True Reflections” for Jah Cure and other hit songs with him.  I did put out some work for some Luciano album.  So they knew me as a writer, as a vocalist…  When you have a good product and people are willing to take chances, then it can pay off.  And it worked so.  I’m glad for this opportunity definitely.

Did you write True Reflections alone or was it co-written?

I can say I wrote this song… and a few others.  So that was a great thing for me because then people started looking at me as a writer.  A writer is a very powerful thing.  Many producers would like to take a chance with a good writer.  Because there are many singers, but those who are good in terms of writing ability are few…. And luckily I’m one of those!

So you are a vocalist, writer, producer…

Yes !  It’s good in the business to be multi-faceted.  Because you never know where the break will be coming from.  Look at Phil Collins for example!  He was a drummer for Genesis for many years until the lead singer left the band.  Then he became a multi platinum vocalist.

So you have to be flexible.  Not only in the music, but also in the work place. The people who get the further are those who get more attributes.

Your musical direction drifts away from the mainstream Jamaican music.

Yes, I’m a vocalist.  It would be easy for me to try and get into the dancehall music, which is the mainstream.  But I’m not a dancehall artist.  I could compete at the highest level with most of the people who doing dancehall.  I wouldn’t even bother to try.  Not because I want to be in the loop of things I will divert from what I know.

I think I deliver good songs.  As long as you do good music people will always relate to it.  Sometimes it can take a little longer to come around.  But if you have the “stick to It-eveness” then they will find you.

How do you feel about this music coming out using vocoders and other voice effects?

You know, to me it’s a vibe.  So if people like it and can find fun and enjoyment in it… Well…  At the end of the day, it’s what the music is all about.  It’s about entertainment so if people find something positive from it.  It’s OK.

Because maybe the first man who beat a drum was told by the others: "Why you doing so much noise?"  And now the drum is part of the music.

So there’s a place for it.  But to saturate the market with it and to blatantly go ahead when you don’t have experience in the music, it’s like O.D. : Over Doing it!

It has its space in the new generation, but you have to know your space also.

Your music as Tarrus music and other artists from your generation has taken a lot of inspiration of Beres Hammond music.  Many of you refer to him…

Well definitely, he’s been a stalwart in Jamaican music.  For as long as I’ve known myself loving Jamaican music, I’ve always loved Beres songs.  And Beres Hammond is still putting out great albums.  He has had two hits last year.  Last year !  He probably had his first hit before I was born, and had two again last year.  Beres definitely had a great influence on us because he kept it clean throughout all these years.  There’s not a song in Beres catalogue which you can say the kids won’t be allowed to listen to.

That keeps you motivated because then you know that there is a space for positive people.  Hold on to clean music, good melodies, good lyrics and your songs will stand against the time.

Published on 01/03/2010 by Irie Nation