Dancehall Reggae artiste Emanuel Eye

Dancehall Reggae artiste Emanuel Eye

“Well me used to write still and 20 years ago me used to DJ but me used to do singing a little bit but me used to DJ because me used to like the Dancehall style you know? The style was like slack you know?.

It was slack so then me decided to like change it up when me start singing now because me know that DJ- ing like this me wouldn’t get too far so me had to take it to a universal level. Singing is the highest way of praising Most High you know”, says the Emanuel Eye of his transition from one musical variation to another.

Emanuel Eye recalls younger days in Maypen, Clarendon Jamaica being around his beloved “Granny” and discovering his singing voice as he used to accompany her to church and would enjoy singing praises with her.

He always thanks and remembers her, for she inspired him. Later he would experiment with music as a DJ calling himself Tenna Floyd at one point in honor of Tenor Saw and Nitty Gritty and a time period of dancehall’s wonder years where lyrical content and delivery were of the utmost importance.

Equally important to the sound-scape of reggae in those days were Dennis Brown, Bob Marley, and Cocoa Tea.

Admittedly shy and humble, by no means does Emanuel Eye claim to replace the afore-mentioned reggae greats but to join them and contribute lyrical depth and social responsibility to musical society.

“I think I will stand out because of my style you know my style is, I’m very universal because me sing all kinds of different ting and me nah just going to sing one way. The way how you hear me sing “ History” (a raw cut) that’s not even my original way of singing or as a cultural reggae singer you know? But me just a try fi uplift me self a bit and stay ina the right you know”, Emanuel Eye remarks.

Emanuel Eye hopes to be instrumental in opening the ears and the minds of the new generation of reggae music listeners applying his universal appeal and sound scholastics. “We have come a long way right now because right now everybody a look up to a Rasta Man right now. Back in the days people look down on Rasta.

Me try to tell the people them you know… look up to Rasta right now because them see it’s the right ting we a deal wit, see what me a say?” Emanuel continues his point in saying… “The right ting is loving each other, being your brother’s keeper you know, help out when you can, you know? No killing… no guns… no fighting.

I think say if a man live like that then he is a Rasta still you know, because you are supposed to do the tings that a Rasta is supposed to do to, you know, be a Rasta. It’s just like people go church and say them a Christian and like them not really one you know cause them not doing the tings that them supposed to.”

Music is a catalyst for behavioral habits and as Emanuel Eye evolved with the music so did his style and his life. Although he stills has the skills to deliver versatility he chooses his words carefully and enjoys the best of both worlds.

“It’s reality you know but it depends on how you bring it across because you know them a sing bout you know, me nah want fi say it,” Emanuel Eye chuckles, “but like you have to teach the youth dem like the way dem fi live because right now, you see how the youth dem a live? And a di slackness music dem a listen to you know what me a say? So me know when me a grow up and the music me a listen to it used to teach we and teach we to keep us a way, you know what me a say?… Big time influence, any music you listen to, it become, you become like the music like what the music dem a say.

Even some people a sing about the music and dem nah do the ting but then you have the ones listening and dem do the ting, yeah definitely.”

Emanuel Eye continues, “I think the music is supposed to have a message in it and it’s supposed to have a positive message especially the reggae music cause reggae music is supposed to be a cultural music you know what me a say so you can’t just sing slackness and a say… xyz you know?”

Come to expect musical reflection on clean love, culture and life.

Emanuel Eye draws from visualization, quiet observation and melodic meditation, “My inspiration comes from the Most High still you know because most of the songs what me a make is like them just come ina me head you know and me just start singing them and sometimes all of it nah come so me just try to voice what me get already… We’ll me hear the song first ina me head and then when me hear the song, then me just start sing it, sing it, sing it and then melody, melody and then the more I sing it a just more melody”.

He embraces his worldly appeal. He has already been to Guyana and of course Jamaica and Canada singing along side of international stars. ''The artists that I shared the stage with are Queen Ifrica, Leroy Sibbles, Half Pint, Erol Dunkly and many more,'' he recalls. Emanuel Eye looks forward to being live, feeling the crowd sharing his voice well blended and nourishing like ital juice.

He continues to say, “I just want my music to reach the world and touch the people them, the Eye will always give them good music.”