The Jamaica Star :: Entertainment :: Mavado's father still with him, Bounty the general

Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Mavado

Yesterday David 'Mavado' Brooks spoke about being 'On the Rock'. Today, he continues his story, speaking about the bond with his deceased father, the Reggae Academy Awards and Bounty Killer.

Mel Cooke: So whey yuh tink bout de Reggae Academy Awards exclusion? I was at a show at James Bond Beach whe yuh talk bout it, whey u sey dem can keep dem award an ting. (Despite being one of Dancehall's most popular artistes he was not nominated in any of the awards).

Mavado: Yeah! Cause if dem feel like dem no fi gi me no award, keep it. Me nah no problem. A reward me a work fah y'nuh. Yu understan'. An greata salvation. So how yuh ago have suppen whey u sey fi dancehall an Mavado, who a one a de bigges' ting inna dancehall, an yuh waan tell me none a dese tings Mavado name no call pon? Dat mean yuh jus a show de people from early out we no like da yute ya. Yuh understand? Wha else yuh coulda show? A mus dat yuh a tell people. Because look, IRIE FM as de bigges' radio station inna Jamaica - Yu know sey every radio station whe play dancehall music ova de worl' waan be like IRIE FM? An a IRIE FM sey Mavado a de artis' fe de year. Mavado album fe de year. An one bag a sittin. Yu understan. Stone Love, de leadin' dancehall soun' fe ova 30-odd years, come tell yuh sey Mavado a de artiste fe de year. An den dese people now - Me nah nutten gains' dem. Yu see it. But it seems dem ave suppen against me, but me nah nutten against dem. Dem can keep dem award. Me good, yuh see wha me a sey. Cause when me did a come inna dis me neva sey me a come fe get bare award an bare dis an bare dat. Me jus' come fe sing music fe de people dem.

Mel: Yu did expec' fe get so big?

Mavado: (Laughs slightly) Tell yuh de truth me don, me not even know whe fe sey bout dat, cause tell yuh wha, me did jus' come an sey me a come sing fe de people. Me neva know how far it a go go. Yu understan'. An dis a how far Jah bring it. Dis is how far it is now today, yuh understan'. So me jus' haffi tank Jah fe everything an' know sey bway, yeah. An it no stop. It no stop. Dem a try stop me, but me cyaa stop. Cause I am burnin' like de chariot of flame wid Elijah, y'nuh.

Mel: Yu a rise up.

Mavado: Yeah man. Survivor man (laughs).

Mel: Yu eva stop one day or one night or whaeva an wonder if dis real? De change, from dem time -

Mavado: Nuff time. Nuff time man. More time me inna me house an me modda inna me house an me son an me daughta an me likkle sista an ting, y'nuh. Family dem deh deh an ting an me stay so an me a pray an me a sey Jah know, yuh know sey faada God me love yuh y'nuh, see it, cause - Gullyside me born an'

grow pon y'know man. See wha me a sey. Dats why me keep it real, to de streets, an we keep it real to who we know sey we fe keep it real to.

Mel: So yu pray often?

Mavado: Yeah man. Have to. Especially now when dem a try so much ting fe get me down an' dem ting deh. Me jus' keep on prayin'. Yu see it. Cause right now a Jah alone can help me inna dese times y'nuh. Him a me only refuge, y'nuh. Shelter me from de storm.

Mavado and his daughter Daniella share a joke. - Ian Allen

Mel: Yu close to de family an ting. Yu talk bout dem -

Mavado: My family?

Mel: Yeah.

Mavado: Yeah man! A wha yu a talk bout man! Me close to me family man, a me an' my ol' lady live y'nuh man. See wha me a sey. Me yute an' dem ting deh y'nuh. Yu see me. Cause a me dream dat. All a dese tings wha me a do now a me dream. Dream fe mek me modda live alright an' no haffi worry bout nutten. Cause me come see har a work fe whole heap a years. Yu understand? So a me dream now fe come do all a dese tings fe har. Mek she no haffi wonda wha ago happen tomorrow cause she know sey everyting alright. All she haffi do a trus' inna Jah, an pray. Yu see me. So we grow, cause we faada teach we fe pray y'nuh man.

Mel: I was gwine ask yu bout yu faada later, but since him come up now. We know yu faada pass off an ting, but de influence strong same way?

Mavado: Yeah man. Den no me faada way man. Yu see it.

Mel: Faada was a Rasta man -

Mavado: Yeah man. Tall natty. (pauses). Yeah man. (pauses, voice goes lower). Mr Brooks, yu see it.

Mel: Miss him more time?

Mavado (Voice still low): Definitely, cause (voice gets stronger) more time me stay so an a pray and me a sey Jah know, if all me ol' man was alive now me an' him woulda a par, yu see it. Yeah man. Cause me an' me ol' man used to par like bredda y'nuh man. When yu see me an' me faada a par yu a wonda if a faada an' son or a big bredda an likkle bredda, yu see it. (Voice goes low again). Yeah man.

Mel: Yu tink yu woulda leave de Alliance any time, or is Alliance fe life said speed?

Mavado: Alliance fe life. Yeah man.

Mavado and Bounty Killer performing together at Violence Prevention school campaign. - File

Mel: Cause a de respec' whe Bounty show?

Mavado: A Killer me sey fe life y'nuh, me don. A no joke ting. More time people sey me an Killer inna war, me an Killer dis, me an Killer dat, me wonda ow dat drop een. Yu see it. Killer a always me dupes, cause hear wha, a years me deh roun' Killer, years, yu see me. Ova 13 year now. Yu hear dat. An yu haffi rate somebody fe deh roun' dem fe so long. An how long now Mavado bus? From 2005. An a 13 year me deh roun' Killer. Yu overs?

Mel: Yeah man. Whey u sey, cyan get bigga dan de Killer? Ah don' mean bigger musically or lyrically, ah mean bigga dan de influence an' de respec'.

Mavado: No, cause a due to Killer mek me earn nuff a my respect same way.

Mel: Even now?

Mavado: Yeah, even now man. Cause memba sey Killer did out deh a pave de way from long time. An Killer come wid dis yute ya now an sey hear wha, a me likkle son dis y'nuh. Yu understan'. So yu ago ave crazia Killer fans out deh wha sey yow, da yute ya star, mek we lissen him. Mmmm.

Mel: So yu look at Bounty as a big bredda or a faada figure or a cousin or a fren?

Mavado: Look pon Killer as me general. Yu see it.

Tomorrow: Mavado, one of the featured acts on the upcoming show, Rendezvous on May 10, speaks about true happiness, vanity, unity on the gullyside.

Mavado visiting his father's grave at Dovecot in St. Catherine. - Ian Allen