Caribbean entertainers are really becoming worthy of international recognition with each passing day. And Jamaican artistes, producers, public relations experts, and management must be given props for their industrious work and their ethic in ensuring the artistes, and essentially the island, receive the attention required. Kavelle Christie of Blueprint Publicity and Promotions approached the T&T Guardian on behalf of the 27- year-old son of Freddie McGreggor, Daniel "Chino" McGreggor, who revealed some of the amazing things that have been happening in his career.
Unique and capable
"I've been doing this forever," said Chino when asked about his musical background. He started recording professionally in 1998 and has been excelling ever since. As the son of one of reggae's greats, Chino understands that expectations of him are high, but explains that he sets himself apart from other artistes by being unique. "My music is very lyrical. I use a lot of unique concepts and a lot of melodies. People sing along to my stuff because the music is really catchy," he said during a quick telephone chat from his home in Jamaica. Mentors for the striving songwriter and vocalist include his father and other musical elders of that era, but according to Chino, his musical family–The Big Ship Family–is also an important element of his growth and development as a person and an artiste.
Daniel "Chino" Mc Greggor says the key to public embrace is leaving the crowd with something they'll always remember.
"The Big Ship Family is a family unit–a family enterprise," he said, and that it is. Steered by his father, Chino and his siblings have made a name for themselves under the well-known brand. On his own, though, the father of a five-month old baby girl has amassed a tremendous amount of support from fans worldwide. "My new single, Must Come Back, is one for the ladies," said Chino. He explained that the track holds strong to the old school vibe, adding that he thinks it's great that many of today's artistes are holding on to the old school rhythms and building on the music of that time. Chino highlighted that thus far he has been able to maintain his reputation by representing well each time he hits the stage, and the key, according to the upcoming superstar, was to always leave the crowd with something to talk about.
Family, music and ambition
In early July, his music took him to Atlanta and Canada for performances. He's also been doing a number of shows at home in Jamaica, during what he referred to as "the summer season." But, when he's not on stage, Chino, who considers himself a family-oriented man, says he still enjoys being around music. "The studio is home, literally. Whether I'm recording or not, I'm around the music." Most recently Chino released his sophomore Japan album, Never Change, and like music to his team's ears, the album debuted at number seven on the iTunes Japan Reggae Album Chart. The US release of the album is scheduled for September, but before that, Chino will embark on a two-month promotional tour for the album.
"We really put in the work and we try to tap in to other markets–markets that wouldn't ordinarily listen to the music," he said, adding, "The Caribbean is only so big." On that note, questions arose as to Chino's thoughts on the soca genre. "I like soca music. I'd like to do some collaborations," he said, adding that he believed soca artistes had been doing much more overseas than Jamaicans, although dancehall and reggae music have undoubtedly penetrated in a much more noticeable way. With big plans for the future, the Kingston native maintained, "I want to continue making great music but on a wide scale, on an international level. I want to join Shaggy, Sean Paul and Bob Marley. They've paved a way for people like me, to follow."
