Shuravee makes a J’can link
GROWING up in Lofa County, Liberia, Afrobeat artiste Shuravee developed a passion for Jamaican music; he listened to Peter Tosh and Bob Marley.
“I feel the vibes of Jamaica and I respect the culture. I appreciate the love that Jamaicans have for each other — the realness — and I feel connected to the country and its peace-loving people,” Shuravee, who is in his early 20s, told the Jamaica Observer.
He recently collaborated with Jamaican dancehall artiste Starface for a remix of his single One More Night. The song is scheduled for release early next year.
Shuravee is signed to Liberian label DeeZee Productions/ACE, which secured a deal for him through South African independent label Khazibo Entertainment. The arrangement will see the artiste penetrating markets outside of the African borders, specifically the Caribbean, North America and Europe.
“I want to work with a lot of artistes, including those from Jamaica. I also plan to make more of my presence felt by promoting Liberian arts and culture to the Caribbean,” said Shuravee.
He spoke about how he got involved in music.
“I grew up into music from a young age. I used to listen to my grandmother sing some traditional songs as we sit together. I started to develop a love for the melody and energy that she put into the songs and this would make me happy. It has been a family thing because my aunt sang lead in the church, and my brother is an instrumentalist — so music for me was an inborn thing,” he said.
Some of the songs Shuravee has released include Hood Money, Club Life, For You, Body Fever, Fake Friends and Born to Win.
He said the original version of One More Night has been making waves in his homeland. The song was produced by Master HanDSome.
Shuravee hopes the collaboration with Scarface will open the door for similar projects with other Jamaican acts.
— Kevin Jackson