Spin D Music - Entertainment News

Da'ville promises big things next year

Kingston, Jamaica: Dec 27, 2007

Source: Jamaica Observer

Although the deejay variety of dancehall music is the bread-and-butter of many of those associated with the genre, it is generally accepted, even in the dancehall, that there's no song quite like a love song.

So, when singer Da'ville stepped out in 2006 and gave his best shot with Always On My Mind, it was embraced by sound systems, radio and dancehall fans alike. It shot to the top of the charts, as did the accompanying video, which earned Video of the Year for 2006 from CVM's Hit List. And Da'ville, who also released another popular single, Can't Get Over You, was crowned Vocalist of the Year by the International Reggae Music Awards and Stone Love.

Enter the year 2007 and it was a different kind of ball game. While stating that 2007 "was still good" for him, as he had travelled extensively and cemented his position outside of Jamaica, Da'ville, in a recent interview with the Observer, acknowledges that this year has brought more competition in the music. However, he feels that "this is good".

Patiently sitting on the sidelines for years has been singer Tarrus Riley, who, this year, seized the opportunity to shine, and did so royally with his mega hit for 2007, She's Royal. Tarrus has been appearing as a big drawing card on every major stage show for the season.

Da'ville, on the other hand, after impressing for the first half of the year, changed his image with a new-look hairstyle - more punk than anything else - but failed to provide a follow-up single. And in this fickle world of music, where an artiste is only as big as his last song, Da'ville felt the pinch, at least locally.

With the exception of Island Explosion and Coco Tea's Reggae Jam Jam, he is not an item on any of the major shows this year end.

But the singer is far from ready to quit. Earlier this year, he signed a three-year, three-album deal with VP Records, and having delivered the first album, Always On My Mind, which, he says, "is selling steadily", he is looking forward to 2008 to assemble his production team and start working on his next project.

He promises his fans big things for the new year, emphasising that he doesn't make promises he cannot keep.