DJ Capleton - File

This is the second to last instalment of The STAR's weeklong interview with deejay Capleton ahead of his performance at Club Impulse, Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston, tomorrow night.

The STAR: A St Mary Mi Come From (Capleton's annual concert, now held at the Gray's Inn Sports Complex), why you start dat?

Capleton: I am like one of the youngest icon, like one of the youngest veteran. So I need to set proper footprints on the sands of time where I know nuff yute a go follow, nuff yute a go emulate, so we waan know when de yutes dem emulating we have something positive that the yute dem can look up to a know yeah, Capleton did do dis. It benefited the community in terms of the growth and the development; him donate to school, him build computer lab a school, him give X-ray machine to hospital, him donate to reform centres, to community centres, football club, netball club, you understand.

The STAR: Where did you start the event? (A St Mary Mi Come From marks 10 years this summer.)

Capleton: It started from a Stone Love wid me, Louie Culture, Sizzla and Jah Mason. (That was at Island View in Port Maria). You have so much artistes come from St Mary, some of the most powerful artistes in Jamaica. You talk bout the top man Beres Hammond, Ninja Man, the two most powerful woman, Tanya Stephens and Lady Saw. Even Sizzla born there, even Mavado born there. The two Demus them. And we talk bout the young one them like Teflon, Hollowpoint, Munga, so the thing still a grow.

The STAR: So when the thing start to grow? When the thing really take off?

Capleton: About the fourth, fifth. (The first official staging with a band was at Clemmond's Park, then there were two stagings at James Bond Beach.)

The STAR: Does the media pay as much attention to the charity? (Donations have also been made outside of St Mary in parishes such as St Ann, Portland and Kingston.)

Capleton: No, but yu know we no worry bout dat. And if we fe talk about sponsors, it is crazy because we never get no sponsor from corporate Jamaica, after the show is such a positive show and it give back.

The STAR: You approach them?

Capleton: Several times. We write whole heap a letter and them no pay we no mind. But as we say, a good over evil, we still continue. All kind a ting dem try fe destroy mi show, fi me even stop it and it never work. This is something good we doing, this is benefiting the community. This is a charity show. Is not like me a try keep the show fe make money. Nuff time me haffi go inna my pocket to give back to the beneficiaries. Sometimes people come in free.

The STAR: Venue full, but no profit

Capleton: Yeah. But a lot of people eat anytime the show come around.

The STAR: So for the 10th anniversary, do you have any special plans?

Capleton: Yeah. For the 10th anniversary, I planning to use 10 headliners. We waan do suppen different.

The STAR: So you will be one of the headliners? Ten plus, or nine plus?

Capleton: Could be either. This year mi plan fe work. Mi plan fe do some monitoring da year ya, so mi can see what is happening, stage and everything, so everything run smooth.

The STAR: You ever get to do a long performance on A St Mary Mi Come From?

Capleton: Never. I always want to and it never manifest.

The STAR: You going to try again this year?

Capleton: Definitely. Maybe mi haffi go do a Capleton in concert one of the time, where mi can perform a three, four hour. We cyaa go out deh in the world and perform fe people of that magnitude and our people at home no get that kind of energy. So we really need to give them that sort of vibe, them see Capleton a perform fe two, three hour, do out the song them. Last time I remember I do that was Peppers, that was how much years ago. I tried to do it in Ochi wha night and police turn it off when I do about five songs. (That was about three days after his birthday.) Mi did have Nambo and the Idren Workshop, them new yute from School of Music. I did the Plug N Play thing for them in Hilton. It was great. Talented yute dem. So I did bring dem and give dem a highlight, true mi did love the way them play fe me at Jonkanoo Lounge. I need something like that, working on it, soon. Away from A St Mary Mi Come From I need a Capleton in concert.

The STAR: Then you have this performance coming up (at Club Impulse tomorrow night).

Capleton: Yeah. I venturing for the band. I don't know if the club can hold a band or what. Munga and Romain ago deh deh an' we plan fe jus' nice up de place fe de people. I feel good having Munga and Romain there, cause we just did a US tour and it was a great tour, a very prosperous tour. First time, Munga first major tour, and for Romain too and he was promoting his new album. The people fulljoy themselves and love it. The people came out. You know some man tour and the tour pop dung, it no go noweh. One week, two week and it pop dung, dem haffi leave de road. So you haffi have that name and the respect, yu can go out deh an' yu can even finance your tour. Because hotel is not a pretty ting. Tour bus, it no easy. Per diem it no easy. So yu haffi have de standard an' yu haffi have de durability, you can mantain yu ting.

Tomorrow: The series closes with Capleton speaking about entourages and his view on the direction of Jamaican popular music.