Blackmann: "My musical career is definitely manifesting itself now!"

Blackmann, first and foremost welcome in Belgium. You've already been here for a couple of weeks now I gathered?
Blackmann: "Yeah man, I'm here to promote my new album 'From Trenchtown To Spanish Town'. Belgium nice man!"

Are you a Kingstonian born and bred?
Blackmann: "I was born in Trenchtown yes. Later on I moved to Spanish Town because Kingston was just getting to hot!"

You've really already been working on establishing a musical career ever since the early eighties. Is it truly that difficult to get a career of the ground in Jamaica as a young aspiring artist?
Blackmann: "Well, in any case it takes a lot of energy and a lot of strength. If you're hanging around the right bunch of people it might be easier, but if not it will definitely take some time. It all depends on who you know. Personally I even left the music business at one stage and for about five years I did other things to survive."

And where are you at now? Can you make a living of your music yet?
Blackmann: "At this moment I'm strictly doing music yes. I've been doing a lot of recording work and the odd dubplate here and there, but my musical career is definitely manifesting itself now."

A name that kept popping up in your biography again and again, was that of the late great Dennis Brown.
Blackmann: "Dennis Brown was like a father figure to me when I was a little youth. I often went up to Orange Street to go and see him. He was a great inspiration and told me always to keep on trying, so that's what I'm doing now."

Now you've also got this Belgian connection going on. How exactly did you first hook up with Onesty?
Blackmann: "Onesty is really a friend of a friend (guitarist/producer Rohan Gordon aka. Maka Lox, red.). When she came to Jamaica we met up at Tuff Gong studio and started to hang out together."

You've come over to Belgium. What are you hoping to find here?
Blackmann: "As I said already, I'm here to promote my new album by performing at some shows and festivals."

Are you influenced by Rastafari and if so what does it mean to you?
Blackmann: "Rastafari  is I&I life giver, he is I&I savior. The King is the rightful ruler, so I give thanks for life and praise his name: Rastafari!"

Finally then, how did you come by the name Blackmann?
Blackmann: "Before my stage name used to be Little Robert and in the eighties I even used to be called La Bamba after my first hit tune. Now when Capleton just came from the country, he was living in August Town. We met one day at a dance at Ninjaman's yard and did a combination together on the sound. He went (starts singing): "More prophet, more black man, more powers more meditation. Now black man you got to stand strong!" and then I came in: "Free your meditation, now you got to free your heart!". From that time Capleton gave me the name Blackmann. No one in reggae music was ever named by that name before, so it's a very strong name."

Blackmann, thanks for doing this. Rastafari!
Blackmann: "Yeah man, give thanks to the I. Blessed love to the whole of Belgium and keep looking out for Blackmann."