Entertainment

A talk with a Gentleman

Gentleman - ricardo makyn

Stage Name: Gentleman

Real Name: Tielman Otto

How did you get started in the business?:

"Reggae music was always in my family. My brother had a nice selection of reggae music. I first came to Jamaica when I was 17 and carried back dancehall records. We rented a PA system and started to play them in Germany and I started singing over the rhythm."

What challenges have you faced in the business?:

"People don't see the difference between a real musician and someone who a hustle the music."

Most memorable moment: "There are a lot of moments. I was always dreaming to perform on Sting, but is a bottle fling. Me talk too long. Me talk too much, the people did not know me yet."

Most embarrassing moment: "I don't believe in embarrassment. I have never been embarrassed in my life. That only happen when you have a lot of ego. I keep ego out of this."

Do you like the direction reggae and dancehall music is going?: "It is changing. When I listen to the radio I hear a lot of roots reggae. That is where it is coming from and that is where it is going to."

What have you been up to lately?: "Performing on the German summer festival circuit. I did Summerjam last week, with 30,000 people, and I did Solid Ace the day before that. The song Superior, the first single from the album Confidence is on the Reggae Gold 2005 album."

Do you look up to any specific artiste: "Dennis Brown, Garnet Silk, Peter Tosh, Jack Radics, Daddy Rings, Sizzla."

Are you happy with the way things are going for your musical career right now?: "We all have a right to be happy, but we do not have the right to be satisfied as long as there is injustice."

Anything you'd like to change about it?: "I don't want to change this. I always want to sing."

Musically, what are your future plans?: "The future will never come, somehow, so we have to enjoy the moment. Tomorrow will always be tomorrow."

Do you have any advice to artistes coming up?: "They should know that music is more powerful than they think."