Like father, like sons
THEIR father is renowned session guitarist and producer Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith. Now, brothers JahJah (singer) and Ashea (deejay) have their sights on making the musical breakthrough.
The duo recently released their debut album Young Star, an 18-track project featuring production by JahJah, as well as guest appearance from Canadian reggae artiste Gisto.
JahJah (real name Jahmai Smith) and Ashea (Itayi Smith) have made waves in the Portmore area for some time. They won the Portmore Award for Best New Dancehall Act last year. Among their songs are Money Fi Turn and Broad Out.
Commenting on their album, JahJah said, “We wanted to recapture and bring back the real dancehall vibes with this album.”
The siblings say their biggest influence is their father who has worked with major acts such as Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Ziggy Marley and Amy Winehouse.
“Our father has given us a firm musical footing to continue the rich legacy producing quality music. Our natural talent has been nurtured and fine-tuned,” said JahJah.