“For Jamaicans to say Warrior King has been away for a while may be accurate, but it is in no way a disrespect to my country,” Warrior King told The Gleaner.
The reggae singer said that he acknowledges the fact that more than 90 per cent of the songs that he sings are unfamiliar to his local fans. His current single, Nuh Fraid, released in January, is being used to make a major reconnection.
“They will probably know maybe one or two out of the Warrior King catalogue,” he said. “Nuh Fraid is already re-engaging the local audience; it is a very important part of my mandate and goals to get more shows here.”
Last year, the reggae artiste did three major shows across the island, Rebel Salute included. There he met Ras Jomo of Buffalo’s Power 96.5FM and was invited as the first Jamaican entertainer to perform at the Juneteenth Festival in Buffalo. Following the event, the mayor of the city, Byron W. Brown, declared June 11 the official Warrior King Day.
Warrior King Day
In celebration of the first-year anniversary of Mark ‘Warrior King’ Dyer Day, the reggae singer has chosen to carry out a ‘Peace Talk’ and vocal training sessions at his former primary school – Sanguinetti Primary in Clarendon.
Although the assumption would be that he would return to Buffalo to celebrate the day, Warrior King said, “Jamaica, being where I am from, is the place I would like to share my accomplishments with. To be honest, it’s been quite a while since I visited Sanguinetti, but chose there because of the strong educational foundation at the school and discipline, which was always of utmost importance, which has made me a well-rounded individual.”
The Children
He continued, “I see the children as our future. I am confident that if we guide them from a tender age, we will see better results as they grow into adults.”
In addition to the activities, Warrior King told The Gleaner that going into the school is only the beginning of many outreach programmes that his foundation, The Rootz Warrior Foundation, will be hosting.
“This is a vision which I’ve had for quite a while, and now it’s been given the opportunity to be manifested through Warrior King Day.”
The Rootz Warrior Foundation, which is named after his most recent album, was established to uplift the youth in Jamaica with plans to target windshield wipers, and through which young persons with little opportunity can learn various skills. It will be officially launched in 2019.
