Reggae rhythms

Junior Tshaka believes his music can overcome language and cultural barriers to win over Chinese audiences

Swiss reggae musician Junior Tshaka is unfazed by the language or cultural barriers to his music in China.

"Reggae music is a universal music, Chinese people are human beings, so I have no doubts," he says. "I am sure that the music is stronger; every human being feels music."

He was in Beijing recently for the 6th Mars en Folie Festival, a Francophone music and language event with artists from France, Belgium, Switzerland and Quebec, which toured 13 cities across China.

Tshaka's militant reggae style won him first place in the 2009 European Reggae Contest at the Rototom Splash in Italy, ahead of almost 500 other acts from across the continent. Since then he has played festivals across Europe gathering a loyal following of fans from France in particular.

The invitation to represent Switzerland at the Mars en Folie Festival was an opportunity for him to take his music to China, a country largely unfamiliar with reggae, for the first time.

"This is big, this is nice; to travel with music is very good, this is a privilege," he says. "In Europe we don't know China. I don't want to say what I don't see, so I wanted to come here, to feel the reality. After that, I will make my conclusion or point of view."

Although his style of music is unfamiliar to most Chinese, he feels playing in China is little different from playing anywhere else.

"This is a new people; this is like every time, just to play some music. Chinese people, or American people, or African people, it is the same for us."

China is not the first place that Tshaka has faced a language barrier. In fact, it is something he is familiar with in multilingual Switzerland.

"In the village just after my village they speak German," he says. "We don't understand what our neighbors say, so this is usual for me, to break language barriers. Language is just a medium."

Tshaka's music is simple yet meaningful, full of observations on rights and wrongs and the state of the planet.

"This is the same message as when I am in my city. This is music from my heart. I just speak about things that touch me. I want to sing love, hope, future, positive vibrations."

Even though he is introducing much of his audience to reggae for the first time, Tshaka does not view himself as an ambassador.

"Now in China, like last year in Iran, I am a musician playing reggae music in the country, so I feel like an ambassador, but it's not my aim to be an ambassador.

"I just want to play music. If there are some young people who see me, who want to do the same, I will say to them, 'do it, do it, do it. Feel free.' This is not a mission, it's work."

Tshaka says his inspiration comes from nature, television and newspapers. Many of his songs denounce world systems that he views as causing war and suffering.

"When you see a sad TV report, you can do a song with it," he says. "When you go to a country and you see some things or you meet people, original people, new people, you can do a song with everything.

"Perhaps you do a song with what you feel, what you give to me. This is the feeling in writing lyrics; you have a blank sheet of paper, and you can write what you want, you are free. It's nice to hope for peace, to cross borders and break down barriers."

Tshaka found the road to becoming a professional reggae musician long and hard.

"It was difficult, because reggae is underground music, so it's not easy to make money with reggae music in Switzerland or in Europe. But with a lot of time, with a lot of energy, with a lot of conviction, with faith, with years, it's possible.

"And now I have been doing it for 5 years. It's my job. When your passion becomes your job, it's like a mission, like something you are reaching for, you realize it."

Tshaka's music strays from reggae at times into traditional, hip-hop and blues, which he played as a teenager, but it is always about music that "touches my heart", he says.

As for the future: he is open to any possibilities, but hopes his musical journey will last.

"The future is so far away. I hope to travel a lot," he says. "I want to go on a big adventure. But if it stops in one week, I will stop it, no problem."

jixiang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 05/31/2013 page28)