Dynamiq born Kennedy Ongele Lorya is a South Sudanese reggae-dancehall artist, DJ, and music producer. His recent project Dub Style Riddim features Zimbabwean dancehall chanter Winky D. It is a sonically dominant reggae riddim with a high energy atmosphere, characterised by a deep, roving bassline that provides the foundation. Released on April 4, the reggae compilation received rave reviews in the local reggae scene. It boasts an impressive line-up of artists from Kenya, Jamaica, The Gambia, the USA, and Italy, including Anthony B, Busy Signal, Loyal Flames, Mariah Ngoma, Real McKoy, Rebellion the Recaller, Skillinjah, and Sud Sound System. On the track, Propaganda, Dynamq aka The River Nile Crocodile has proven himself to be a dub mixologist par excellence, capturing the very signature of Jamaican musical production.
In an exclusive interview with Standard Style reporter Khumbulani Muleya (KM), Dynamq talked about developing the riddim and working with Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong International studio.
Below are excerpts from the interview.
KM: The Dub Style Riddim is a masterpiece. Winky D’s Propaganda has redirected reggae’s global focus to Zimbabwe, all while mastering the blueprint of Jamaican dub.
Dynamq: I have always been a fan of Winky D from back in the day when he used to give away free downloads. I used to download them from Send Space when he posted on his page, so I always listened to him and I reached out after we linked up at the Jamrock Reggae Cruise. I expressed how much I wanted to work with him, but I wanted to work on a major project, something that would be big and represent the whole of Africa the right way. I have always rated his style and I found the right riddim and he did the rest, but definitely he has been inspired by all kind of sounds of reggae, we just wanted to make sure that we put quality.
KM: How pleasurable was the experience of building the riddim to support the diverse vocal interpretations of all the artists? I am interested in learning about your process of manipulating, deconstructing, and reconstructing each track to suit each individual artist’s brilliance. Can you walk me through your approach, particularly with Propaganda?
Dynamq: That’s a great question. The whole idea of me being a producer is to reconnect the rest of the world with Africa. I feel like I am the bridge between Africa and a lot of people out there because God has blessed me with the ability to travel the world and become a globally renowned DJ and sound system artist. We have Anthony B and Busy Signal from Jamaica, Sud Sound System from Italy, Rebellion the recaller from West Africa and of course Winky D from southern Africa, Zimbabwe and then Mariah Ngoma from Kenya among others. I wanted a riddim that is full of international acts. Diversity was very important for me because that’s the world we live in today. It’s very important for the world to also understand that our artists can also be on the same riddims as international artists such as Anthony B the Busy Signal, and I am so glad that Propaganda is just something that you cannot even explain, it is one of those songs that came out at the right time, perfect timing. It’s a message that resonates not just with Africans but globally, people from Jamaica, Trinidad, the UK everywhere are rocking with Propaganda and loving it.
KM: The riddim features artists from three continents. Do you view this as a potential artist exchange and collaboration? How do you feel about having these artists in the same project?
- Religion: Overcoming doubt and unbelief
- Winky D dominates Trevor’s In Conversation
- Religion: Overcoming doubt and unbelief
- Winky D dominates Trevor’s In Conversation
Keep Reading
Dynamq: Music is a language that everybody understands. Featuring all those artists was not planned, by the way. It was supposed to be a single for Busy Signal. Me and Busy Signal wrote the song In Every Country. I was on tour in Italy (big up to my good friend GeGe), she is my booking agent and introduced me to Sud Sound System and little did I know Sud Sound System where fans of Dynamq. I let them hear the riddim and told them I needed something in Italian, they went and knocked it out. I then sent it to Anthony B who knocked it out in one day and also sent me files from Real McKoy who is his engineer and is also on the riddim and then I was like you know what this is really becoming something. Loyal Flames has always been a friend of mine from day one, so for him, it wasn’t a problem. Rebellion the recaller, has also been a long-time friend. Mariah Ngoma did all the harmonies on all the songs connecting with her was not a problem, she is somebody that I really want to work with, a very great artist. With Winky D, we have worked on a few projects but we felt like this is the first one for us to release because he needed a reggae song and it was just the right time. However, the whole idea is to bring the world into appreciating reggae music from all across the world from Africa, Italy, Jamaica and all about.
KM: Is this your first time working with Tuff Gong? How does it feel to be working with such a legendary production house?
Dynamq: Yes, this is my first time working with Tuff Gong, and it’s been such an honour. I signed a distribution deal with them, and when I presented the project, they loved it. We first released Busy Signal and it was very excellent and then the whole riddim.
They also guide me through it as well, teaching me a few things about the production world and distribution, so it’s like a family thing you know, but very professional, the quality has to be up there and I am so happy to be a part of this.
KM: You have worked on major projects on the reggae stage, including working with Manudigital and on several dub plate mixes with reputable names in the industry, Capleton, Everton Blender to name a few. While it may be too early to say, do you think the Dub Style Riddim could be your best work yet?
Dynamq: I am just glad people received Dub Style well. Do I think it’s my best work yet, I mean it’s too early to say but I don’t look at things like that I just look at me doing my work. I never want to compare anything, I also want to improve every day, but definitely I love the way it is, I will never change it for anything. I appreciate each and every artist on it, mostly Mariah Ngoma because she did all the harmonies except for the Sud Sound System and Busy Signal songs but the rest of them definitely Mariah did some work on it, I really appreciate that, and Jah know it’s a blessing. I am looking forward to working more with the same artists and even more.
KM: Any message to the multitude of Zimbabwean reggae music lovers who have fallen in love with the riddim? Also, do you have plans of coming to Zimbabwe?
Dynamq: I just want to say thank you so much to my Zimbabwe family, I really appreciate the love and honour, and respect. I am looking forward to linking up with everybody down there. Zimbabwe is home and abroad and thank you to Winky D and the whole family for introducing me to the people of Zimbabwe for those who never knew me, just know that we are family and we going to be working a lot, much love and blessings.
