Entertainment

Matterhorn takes 'Liberty'

By GERMAINE SMITH, Staff Reporter

Tony Matterhorne, right, at a Passa Passa session last year. - File

SELECTOR TONY MATTERHORNE is now in radioland.

The colourful dancehall character has landed a job on Liberty 98.1 FM, a radio station in Barbados where he has been spinning dancehall tunes fresh from Jamaica.

It has long been known that Matterhorne is very popular in Barbados. Just last month, he was given an award there by the local community for his contribution to dancehall music.

Speaking from Barbados yesterday, Matterhorne stated that his status there made him eligible for the radio job.

Upgrading them

"I started about a month now, they know things about Jamaica but I am just upgrading them yu know," he stated. "I am big here already, cause we a play here a long time, so they came to me with the idea. Actually, they came to me with it before but it just came through for me."

Matterhorne explained that he worked on Saturday nights, during the prime time weekend session.

"I play tunes on the 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. segment on Saturdays but mi have different segments. I play old hits in one, new tunes in another, and some conscious tunes in another segment."

Matterhorne is known locally both as a clashing selector, as well as a party juggler. When asked about the time constraints now placed on him, he said it will not affect anything much.

"No it no mean less clashing or playing out for me. I am in Barbados right now and mi a come back a Jamaica this week. I have a couple of shows in England this week, and then back to Barbados this weekend, plus mi have a couple of shows in the islands dem too.

"We still will work, when I have a date we can pre-record the show if anything and still go out and work."

A representative at the radio station confirmed Matterhorne's work there, though a manager of the station was not immediately available for comment.

Tony Matterhorne began his selecting days on the innercity sound system. He shot to prominence, however, on the King Addies sound system where he made his name as a tough-talking tune player who was capable of both clashing and playing at juggling parties.

A few years ago, however, he went solo with his act, but has managed to maintain the popularity and influence he had even without the King Addies name.