by Howard Campbell
[KINSTON, Jamaica] – It was 2006 and Da’Ville had one of the biggest hit songs in Jamaica with Always on my Mind, a lovers rock jam that ruled airwaves and playlists of sound system selectors.
Sixteen years later, and the singer is hunting for another chart-topper. He is currently promoting two new songs — Everytime it Rains and Happy.
The former is a cover of Swedish group Ace Of Base’s 1998 hit while Happy is a blend of R&B and reggae. He is aware fans clamor for him to produce another Always on my Mind but has never felt pressured to duplicate his biggest hit.
“No pressure at all, I don’t work with pressure in that way. I do get a lot of requests from people to sing it though, so I’ll be on Cameo soon so that my fans can order a personalized version of it, but other than that I try my best to stay away from that pressured kind of energy ‘cause if I allow myself to feel that way especially when it comes to music, I might go mad,” said Da’Ville.
Always on my Mind was his breakthrough solo song, after several years with ARP, a harmony quintet that had measured success in Jamaica. It was so popular, that Sean Paul appeared on a remix of the song.
Describing his reggae take on Everytime it Rains as an “interpretation” rather than a cover, he said he agreed to a version after hearing the proposed beat. Happy, on the other hand, has an edgy R&B flavor, reminiscent of the 1990s.
While he wants to add a different dimension to dancehall music, reaching fresh ears is just as important for Da’Ville.
“The bigger picture for me with this is to show my range and versatility while doing positive music for the younger crowd and people overall to listen to, especially on the radio. I want my music to transcend the listeners spiritually and put them in a positive vibe, and if it also helps to change the landscape and help push the contemporary reggae vibe, then I’m all for it,” he said.
