5 Questions With Mortimer

It was a day of food, fun, fashion, and plenty of gift ideas at Sunday’s Kingston Creative Art Walk Festival Gran’ Market edition, the final staging of the year. Booth holders and artisans turned out in large numbers, offering clothing, candles, confectioneries and other items, many with a Jamaican flair that appealed to the tourists in attendance. While some patrons browsed for last-minute Christmas gifts, most were waiting for the main act, reggae artiste Mortimer.

At the mention of his name, the crowd moved closer to the stage to catch a glimpse of the Grammy-nominated singer now associated with love-centred music. In contrast to much of today’s music, Mortimer’s lyrics celebrate enduring love and the deep understanding that can exist between a man and a woman. Accompanied by guitarist Monty, he took a seat and sang softly, performing Careful, Fight the Fight, My Child and Not a Day Goes By.

When asked what he wants to convey through his music, Mortimer told The Gleaner, “My aim with every performance is to always deliver a heart of love. I feel that it has become so unpopular to love these days, so whatever love I can give to the world before I die is very important to me.”

For many in the crowd, his Grammy nomination further affirmed his talent and persistence. Few, however, know that his success was years in the making. The Lightning artiste sat down after his performance for 5 Questions With… to reflect on his journey, noting that it was far from an overnight rise.

1. What are your plans for the Christmas season?

I’m not much of a Christmas guy; but one of the things I do appreciate is the togetherness I see. I always celebrate the end of year and with all that has happened, it is a blessing to come this far.

2. What traditions are you creating/enjoying with your wife and children?

I’m creating a much safer space around me. I didn’t have that growing up, so it is very important for me. I allow everyone around me to thrive without me burdening them with unnecessary expectations. I have no preconceived notions of what I think my children should be.

3. Do your children share your passion for music?

I think they are very musical, very creative. They are very proud of me, which I appreciate, as, coming from childhood, I lived in a household where nobody was proud of me. So when my kids express how proud they are of me, it really warms my heart. Even though I don’t want to be seen as an artiste to them, I just want to be daddy.

4. How does it feel to have your debut album ‘From Within’ nominated for a Grammy, and what does that recognition mean to you at this stage in your career?

It is good. I’m excited. It’s cool to see how people perceive and value my work. It’s cool to see this before I die. We never know how much time we have on this earth, so we have to take it all in now. It’s also a good look for reggae music, so big up to all who were nominated and even those who weren’t. If you were creative, period, then you have already won, because you got something out of your head and put it out there in a physical space. So, with or without a nomination, you have already achieved because you have already created something worthwhile.

5. With the Grammy Awards show set for February 1, how are you preparing for the night?

I will be there in person. I’ve already linked the tailor for my suit, so I’m very excited but nervous too, because it’s [my] first red carpet event [and I’ll be] seeing other creatives that I have looked up to my whole life. So, to be in the same circle as them will be a whole crazy vibe.

BRAWTA:

Looking back at your journey from the 2014 EP ‘Message Music’ to today, what’s the most surprising lesson you’ve learnt about creating music?

It’s been eleven years? It can’t be! It’s been so long? I had no idea I was this patient. So, one of the greatest lessons I’ve learnt is patience, not just musically but in life. Music has taught me patience overall. I’ve also learnt to trust myself even more than I trust people around me. I trust the voice within me that has allowed me to be creative, even though, at times, I really sucked at life (laughs); but the musical part of my life doesn’t suck at all. It’s a process that I take one day at a time. I’ve also learnt that I can’t turn back the hands of time. There are a lot of things I could have done differently, and things I tell myself I should have done differently, but the fact is, I can’t change it. I learnt something from my father, who was a lessons man. He brought us outside with a cup of water that he poured into the dirt, and then he told my sister and I to pick it back up and put it into the cup, which, you know, is impossible. That is now mud. Even if you could go back, there is no guarantee that the outcome would be different. There are lessons in everything; you just have to be open to them.

nicola.cunningham@gleanerjm.com