by Howard Campbell
[LOS ANGELES] – As an aspiring artist, Papa Juggy listened to roots-reggae giants like Culture, The Mighty Diamonds and The Wailing Souls. Their positive messages inspired him to make music with similar themes.
Last October, amid the devastation of the Coronavirus and racial unrest in the United States, he recorded Worry. It’s a song about upliftment which the singer believes the world needs in challenging times.
“It’s tough to stay afloat for the weak-minded. I am a positive man, you can’t give up on yourself because from you have the vision and you have quality music you have ways to stay relevant,” he said.
The Los Angeles-based artist added that, “Writing Worry was all about that; being original with ‘upful’ music you can dance to.”
Worry is produced by Michael Hyde, a prolific American keyboardist whose long list of credits include recording with Ziggy Marley, Chaka Khan and Dionne Warwick.
The single was released by Issachar Muzik, an independent reggae label in Los Angeles.
Papa Juggy was born in the United Kingdom to parents from St. Lucia. He lived for some time in that Caribbean country before settling in Southern California where he has lived for over 30 years.
After making his recording debut in 1990 with the song Educate Yourself for Warner Bros, he recorded and toured with The Wailing Souls.
With his latest song, Papa Juggy honors the legacy of his heroes and a commitment to making music that empowers.
“It’s real reggae music. The message is exactly what it is…stay in your lane, stop worry, love yourself, love others. Jah is di Almighty, and him run things,” he said.
