Dancehall newcomer Soun Bwoii reflects on his recent success, including performing at Sumfest with his father and taking the stage at Unruly Fest
"I’ve even framed the suit I wore at Sumfest" (Photo: Jamar Cleary)
For the up-and-coming Soun Bwoii, his music has always reflected his truth and his experiences. His hit song, 'Pump Up', sparked by an encounter at a gas station, set his trajectory to gracing the stages of Unruly Fest and Reggae Sumfest last month.
Sitting down with Kaboom Magazine, Soun Bwoii discusses his relationship with music, what inspires his songs and future projects.
His parents engrained his creativity throughout his life by exposing him to music, drawing, and dancing. “My father and mom made me listen to vinyls of Dennis Brown, Garnett Silk, Bunny Wailer, and Tenor Saw. I grew up listening to all of that, and it’s always been a heavy influence.”
Soun Bwoii alongside his father at Sumfest's stage (Photo: Jamar Cleary)
Being born in the US to Jamaican parents, his father unfortunately was deported from the US when he was 2, leading his family to move to Jamaica, specifically Browns town, St Ann. “I feel like that was the best decision anybody could have made for me because I got to grow up in a Jamaican culture, and it's something that's very unique to the world, like, we have so much influence on the world", he expressed.
Soun Bwoii has faced his share of challenges but has persevered through it all. After attending a creative arts high school in the US for four years, he completed an additional two years at York Castle High School in Browns Town, Jamaica.
Reflecting on his journey, he shared, “I did my four years of high school in America and moved back to Jamaica. Then, unfortunately, I got into a car accident, breaking a lot of bones, and decided to stay home with my family. I didn’t feel like going to work, so I went to the sixth form program at York Castle and basically did over 12th grade.”
“I was in Atlanta pumping gas, and an old white lady came up to me, talking about how she wanted me to pump her up".
He credits his time in the US for shaping him as an artist, where he learned about the software and cadences in music, helping him "understand music."
“I had to learn to read music. You can put a staff in front of me, and I can play the piano and play what's on the sheet, you know? But it's a different feeling now, being in Jamaica and having been using those tools with Jamaican music. So, that's kind of my little niche, in a way”
His rise to popularity was sparked by his hit single “Pump Up,” With a catchy beat and gyal tune lyrics, girls loved this song throughout the world and made dancing videos on Tiktok. Soun Bwoii states that this song was sparked from an encounter at a gas station and got him out of a dry spell with music.
“I was in Atlanta pumping gas, and a old white lady came up to me, talking about how she wanted me to pump her up.” He recalled. “I sat in the car and was like, you know what? That's a good idea. I never heard anybody use Pump Up, so I'm going to try to use it in a girl song. 30 minutes later, I got home, and Peroxide, who's the person who made the beat, sent me that. And I just started just mumbling, kept repeating the chorus until I just, everything just started falling together.”
Soun Bwoii stays true to himself and his craft, avoiding the pressure to fit into the dancehall mold. He explained, “Even choppa music, I play that in my car, but do I live that lifestyle? Absolutely not, but it’s art because I love music regardless. I don’t really preach what they are saying, but that’s just me being selfish as an artist.”
Pulling inspiration from his current favourite artists such as Chronixx, Sean Paul and Dexta Daps, he has cemented himself in the Jamaican music scene. His eagerness and openness in the scene have led him to state, “From they're a good artist and it makes sense, I'll do the collab.”
Performs on another big staging at Unruly Fest (Photo: Stony Johnson)
The 22-year-old deejay fulfilled a lifelong dream by performing at this year’s Reggae Sumfest, an experience he described as surreal. “I’ve been dreaming about Sumfest since I was eight years old, and it’s always been a dream to have my father on stage with me. To have him there at the biggest show in Jamaica is a huge part of my resume, my life, and my memories. I’ve even framed the suit I wore at Sumfest; it’s on my wall right now. It’s just very surreal.”
Similarly, he recently graced the stage at Unruly Fest in London, getting to perform on the legendary Crystal Palace Bowl. Bob Marley was the last person to perform there, making it a historical day.
“I got reached out to and shoutout Popcaan for giving me the platform. My song had a good following in the UK, and I did my own show in London previously, and then I ended up being the surprise artist for Unruly Fest. They told me to bear in mind that there are like 13,000 people out there, and I'm like, what, for real? Okay, I'm ready, and just imagine there are 13,000 people in the crowd, and, like, 8,000 are singing your song back to you. It's a very surreal experience. I didn’t feel nervous at all; I just felt like this is what I'm born to do. Performing after Spice and basically opening for Popcaan is a different experience.”
"it’s always been a dream to have my father on stage with me. To have him there at the biggest show in Jamaica is a huge part of my resume, my life, and my memories".
As a strong-willed and promising artist, Soun Bwoii is only getting started. He states that his music now is a “lane that they can know you for, and then you can branch out”, citing that he is ready to expand to different genres and diversify his portfolio.
As for future projects, he plans to put out a music video for his newest song, “Early”, very soon, as well as a new single titled “Soul Snatcher” by September.
Comments