Sashae joins political debate with Deja Vu
Portmore- based dancehall artiste Sashae has catapulted herself into the spotlight following the recent release of her socially conscious track, ‘Deja Vu’ with its hard-hitting observations about the dynamics of class and political corruption.
The track gives voice to the current state of affairs on the island, tackling issues such as the increasing levels of poverty, income inequality, crime, political censorship and corruption.
While issues of political corruption among other social ills have always plagued Jamaica, Sashae believes that the country is at a critical crossroads, as this juncture of time just ‘feels different’.
“It feels different, how long can we take this?” she asked.
“Is a crossroads we reach, the lack of hope, the senseless murders, there’s a universal recognition that something is wrong with the state of the country and in every bar, and every street corner, there is a feeling like everyone just accepts what’s going on. No one is doing anything to really change things, are we really going to take this again?” she said.
Sashae said she has received ‘tremendous feedback to ‘Deja Vu’ since its release online, with the track registering thousands of views.
“My song is just an observation that we have always had these problems, and we grew up hearing politicians making promises on how they will fix and change it, but these promises are never fulfilled, hence the name, Deja Vu, the same thing over and over again,” she said.
In September 2019 Sashae released her full-length debut album, Transformation. She is now ready to take the next step.
A product of Greater Portmore, Yonique Richards, as she was christened, attended Bridgeport High School, where she performed at concerts and other functions held at the institution. She was also a regular on sound systems in the St Catherine area, such as Embassy International and Flava Unit, with whom she performed on weekends, creating lyrics on the spot.
Her early repertoire includes songs such as Wi Deh Deh, Don’t Fall in Love and Gangsta Love, and her new release, Kush Meds.
“I am ready to beam up and take the next step,” she said.