A hit song is critical to an artist. It gets them on the radio, slots on major shows and possibly a deal with a major record company.
Ginjah knows that feeling all too well, but it had been some time since he rode the charts. The singer made a huge comeback in March with ‘Tun Up’, a song produced by Tad’s International Record.
The uptempo track topped the influential South Florida Reggae Chart for three weeks, a big boost for the dreadlocked Ginjah who has been a recording artist since the late 1990s.
“It is very important to have a hit song anytime of the year, but this is my first hit song in many years so I’m feeling elated. Also, it is one of the most played songs in the dancehall and on the radio,” he said.
‘Tun Up’ is recorded to the beat of ‘Sitting and Watching’, a big hit for Dennis Brown in 1980. Unlike Brown’s song which looked at social animosity, Ginjah tips his hat to the ladies.
“I was thinking about love and admiration for my woman, we have to compliment our women,” he said. “There are many ways to write a song, inspiration comes from the riddim.”
Ginjah was born in rural Hanover parish, western Jamaica, but spent most of his formative years in Central Village, a gritty community in Spanish Town, on the outskirts of Kingston.
At one stage, his talent as a singer/songwriter caught the attention of Beres Hammond who signed him to his Harmony House label. He toured with Hammond for several years, before moving on and scoring with songs like ‘Guilty Conscience’ and ‘Sweet Killer’.
While aware of the spinoffs a hit song can bring, Ginjah does not have his sights on making headlines.
“It would be nice to be on Reggae Sumfest or Rebel Salute but I don’t think about things that I don’t have control over. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, they (fans) will see me in due time,” he said.
