Shaggy: 'Feels good to have lasted through so many trends'

Jamaican reggae singer Shaggy's music was a party essential in the '90s. He is back on top of charts with "Banana" -- a collaborative effort with Conkarah. He says it feels really good to know that he has lasted so many years and through so many trends.

Jun 9, 2020, 11:01 am ISTMusicIANS

Singer Shaggy.

Topping music charts isn't new for the Grammy winner, who had gained massive success with tracks like "It wasn't me", "Boombastic" and "Angel". But "Banana" making it to the top spot of TikTok app is special for him.

"Music is music though it feels really good to know that we've lasted so many years and through so many trends, and it's especially great that we're pretty popular within the current trend," Shaggy, whose real name is Orville Richard Burrell, told IANS.

The 2019 track, which is being aired on Vh1 India, has become a rage now, thanks to the Banana drop challenge. From commoners to celebrities, including Indian TV star Rashami Desai, people have been dropping their sunglasses down to their faces while dancing to the foot-tapping number.

"There are lot of Indian fans that have taken the challenge and I've posted many of them. We're just really grateful that this song is bringing smiles to so many people's faces," said the singer.

Australian cricket star David Warner got his family to try out the challenge.

Shaggy calls the challenge "a family affair!" The singer would definitely take up the challenge with his family too, but "I'm separated from them right now. They are in Jamaica and I'm in New York".

With Conkarah, he had given a new twist to Harry Belafonte's 1956 hit "Banana boat (Day-O)". In the past, too, Shaggy had worked on remakes and recreations. His first hit in 1993, "Oh Carolina", is a dancehall re-make of the song by the Folkes Brothers. His single, "Girls just wanna have fun", featuring rapper Eve, samples the 1983 hit song by Cyndi Lauper.

He said it is easier to do a song that has already been done because having been a hit before it is pretty much proven.

"Then you must add your own feel and vibe to it. Sometimes it's great to re-introduce the song to a younger generation too as they will go on to discover the previous one. I think it's really cool but I think it's great to write original material also," he said.

Now fans are eagerly waiting for his upcoming album "Hot Shot 2020", which is expected to be out on July 10. With this project, Shaggy will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of his hit album "Hot Shot".

For now, he is waiting for things to get back to normal after the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Once it gets lifted, he said he will "really take the time to enjoy nature and all the things that we're blessed with that we sometimes take for granted".

(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)