Wanted: humour in the dancehall

Professor Nuts started out by deejaying on the corner in 'clashes' with his friends, then moved on to punching songs on the jukebox and deejaying along to the rhythm. From there, he went on to the sound-system circuit, then concerts with bands.

The last is Nuts' preferred musical-support unit, as he can have the band increase or decrease the volume as he wishes ("Is like you are the mixing board," he puts it). However, tonight at Kingston Rock, held at Studio 38, Pulse Headquarters, Trafalgar Road, New Kingston, every Sunday, he will be deejaying on the sound system.

It is a format Nuts is very comfortable with ("I start out lifting box") and he said "when you start out on a sound system you more seasoned in performance. You know how to perform better, you get better experience from beginning on sound system, even before you go into the studio".

Part of that is getting used to the crowd, Nuts saying, "The few little people when you perform on the sound system, it come in like a stage show still, but is less people. So right then and there you suppress your nervousness. It prepare you to go through and perform for thousands of people."

In the studio, Nuts said, it is "you and two people - the engineer and maybe your friend".

Too serious

Now, Nuts said, "Dancehall is a bit too serious for me. You have some new people, me would call it the New World Order, them a deejay bout bling bling and below the waist and lif' up yu han' if yu nuh like who."

"That is what the good public accepting now. Is just maybe a 40 per cent of the musical public accept culture. Is young people," he said.

However, Nuts said, "That's why Europe now, is strictly old hits. The dancehall thing them no too listen it."

He said dancehall needs a "little more humour in it. Without the humour in the music, it going to be too regimental. That's why there is this big antagonism with the people. Humour will never die. It cannot die. It is what they want. Things that they lack of is what they want. My lyrics is elixir, that alleviate stress."

However, the elixir must be administered carefully and Nuts said "Me no give them too much. When they do get one of my humour song, it contain what they were longing for." Nuts said the last recording he did was Don't, for Richie Stephens.

Nuts said he has never planned a performance. "Sometimes you plan and it don't connect. You just go with the flow," he said.

He maintains a very youthful appearance and Nuts said the formula is simple - "Eat right and get good sleep. The only time me bleach is when me go work.". Plus, he said, "do not put the problems of the world on your head. Deal with the problem one at a time and so you stay young".

Finally, he said "Full you head a music. Make sure you have music in you heart and soul and you will stay young forever."

- MC