Chronixx, reggae's new locomotive?

It is undeniable that this new talent in global reggae has been attracting attention not only from fans of the rhythm, but also from the attentive eyes of the mainstream media. Chronixx seems to know what he wants and how to get there. Released at the beginning of this year, his first album - the EP "Dread and Terrible" - was designed almost 100% by him, both in the composition of the lyrics and in the conception of the arrangements, recording, mixing and even involvement in the cover art.

A LITTLE ABOUT CHRONIXX

The young man, just 21 years old (born in October 1992), began his career very early due to the influence of his father, Jamar McNaughton, known as Chronicle in Jamaican music circles. Chronixx wrote his first song lyrics at the age of 5, at 11 he was already the leader of a choir and at 14, during breaks at school, he created the famous Jamaican ’riddims’ (instrumentals). Everything happened very quickly and in 2013 he had two hits, ’Smile Jamaica’ and ’Here Comes Trouble’, the first of which was even used by the Jamaican Ministry of Tourism as a theme track to attract tourists to the beautiful island. In 2014 alone, he won the ’Melhor artista de música cultural’, ’Melhor novo talento’ and ’Artista do Ano’ awards in New York and his album ’Dread & Terrible’ reached the top of the Billboard in the reggae category.

A WORLDWIDE PRODUCT

But to achieve international success, talent alone is not enough. It takes professionalism and being very, VERY WELL advised. Apparently Chronixx has all these attributes, as he even participated in one of the most important talk shows in the United States, "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon and had a live show in Europe broadcast by the giant BBC in London. With this entire structure, the artist becomes a "produto" for the media. Many people don't like this label or other "comerciais" connotations, but we cannot ignore the fact that all the big names in world music became products, even Bob Marley, but they cleverly used the spotlight to convey their true messages. Chronixx shows that he wants to follow the same path.

GENERATIONS OF SUCCESS

Who would Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis be without an Elvis Presley in the 1950s? Who would the Beach Boys, The Animals, The Monkeys and so many others be without the Beatles? Would the world have known The Gladiators, The Abyssinians, Israel Vibration, Black Uhuru and so many other reggae names without Bob Marley to open the doors? Every successful generation needs its "messias". Like Elvis in the 50s, Beatles in the 60s, Bob Marley in the 70s, etc. When the world sees this representative, it immediately wants to know where they come from, if there are other good names, and it is at this moment that a golden generation is born. There are already conversations from music critics and fans in Jamaica with the following content: Jamaica had to wait 40 years to find a new international icon!" The question is: would Chronixx be this name? Evidence reveals yes.

REGGAE ON AN INTERNATIONAL SCALE

Although in mid-2003 Sean Paul gained absurd notoriety with the hit "I’m Still in Love with You", the last global green, yellow and red fever was in the 90s. Names like Inner Circle and Shabba Ranks made the planet shake with the infectious beat of Jah's rhythm, and since then nostalgic fans have been waiting for this triumphant return. In a meteoric way, Chronixx's music has already invaded North America and Europe, which are great thermometers of new international musical trends. In addition to being present at the biggest festivals of the genre, his music is reaching other types of audiences, which is vital for a new expansion of reggae, like the show he recently performed in Central Park in New York. For a name to be successful worldwide, the product needs to be easily accepted, and Bob Marley did this better than anyone. He talked a little about the religious part and talked more about love. He spoke more about peace than war. However, all these subjects were intelligently addressed in their songs, and the message was conveyed in a way that all tribes could assimilate. The new names in Jamaican reggae such as Chronixx, Jesse Royal, Jah9, Rootz Underground, Kabaka Pyramid, Protoje, among others, have good music, conscious lyrics, modern and well-crafted arrangements, and export-quality materials. Beautiful clips, well-recorded albums, visuals on par with other renowned musical genres, in short, perhaps this is the new breath of reggae to embrace the world once again. Let's hope this becomes reality. Bless!