What made an Asian guy from Birmingham decide to become a reggae artist?
A lot of people think reggae has always been a black thing. But it wasn’t like that in the 80s. Reggae music was being made by both black and white artists and was being listened to all across the board. I was amazed to find Asian reggae clubs and the music just clicked with me. Especially around the the time of the riots in ‘85, when racial harmony between blacks and Asians was at its lowest ebb, I began to see reggae as a way to unite people. Many Asians didn’t see it that way… That’s why my message was all the more pertinent. Majority of Asian people saw black people as muggers or drug dealers and not as a peaceful people. Back then, there weren’t many Asians who wanted to be black. Now Asian kids embrace the culture and the people. A lot of that has come about through reggae, rap, r&b – they’ve all brought us closer together. Some people were annoyed you didn’t use your platform to promote Asian music… But it is Asian music! I’m Asian aren’t I? And tracks like Movie Over India, Cho
