By Michael Mondezie
When yuh hear de riddim and de iron
And de man wit de congo drum
In de engine room
Is ah vibes in de session
When we jamming to de steelpan
Come and join de lime, grab yuh bottle and spoon
Is ah party in de engine room
In de engine room we go jam it steady
In de engine room we go get on wassy
It only took Olatunji one listen to know he was “on to something special”.
“No one knows what’s going to be a hit, and I leave that to Jah and the Universe, but once I heard the riddim and the lyrics, I knew there was something special about this tune”
The potent poetry is a testament to the deft skill of Shaft’s pen, Ola noted. But the sweetness in the music is all down to the talent of the Red Boyz, he added.
“I’ve always wanted to work with de Red Boyz, and Shaft is someone that I have worked with before. The combination of all of us felt very natural and positive,” Ola beamed.
“Engine Room” is the main showpiece of Ola’s bejewelled 2023 musical crown. The Belmont-born performer has put together a quality collection of releases befitting of the National Carnival Commission’s (NCC)-coined “Mother of All Carnivals”.
His self-penned “Party People”, produced by Keron Harris, System 32 collaboration “Whip Whap” and animated “Big” atop the popular Precision Productions Collision Riddim, will keep his younger “Tunji-Montana-following” fans happy with their high energy danceable hooks.
Ola has also come together with TV/radio host JW (Jason Williams) on the heart racing “Gyal in De Place”, which appears on Romell “Smiddy” Smith’s Stranger Things Riddim.
He shines brightest, however, when he slows it down to chipping pace as is testament on another Shaft-written gem, “Ah Home”. This time the duo stirs in the sugar into JmarcproductionTT’s Street Festival Riddim to make a jam that would have all those stuck abroad and unable to make the trip home to Trinidad’s Carnival doubly blue.
Ola is one of the most difficult entertainers to imitate on the local music circuit. From his outrageous suit cuts and colours, to his one-of-a-kind dance moves and his eccentric shouts of “Tadow!” he is a musical dish best had on the spot.
He credited the downtime of pandemic-forced lockdowns on his obvious overall growth. He spent the time, not just working on his writing and producing but also on his own personal development as a human being, he said.
“The pandemic gave me a lot of time to think things through. Not only was I able to rock back, but really focus my creative energies on writing and producing, and most importantly becoming a better person. It was tough financially, but I give thanks and look forward to the challenges ahead knowing that I was able to overcome situations when things were really difficult.”
Having his brother, musician/artist RemBunction (Roland Yearwood), at his side in recent years has also served to stir that creativity.
“Remy and I were always close, but being back this Carnival has brought us even closer together. My brother has always been super talented, and I have nothing but love and respect for him. I’ve learned a lot from his creativity, passion and work ethic, he never stops moving and on top of that, he looks out for me. He’s definitely part of the team and every now and then helps handle business on the road for me as well.”
The course ahead is a global direction, Ola said. The talented entertainer, who once earned a standing ovation from Simon Cowell on Britain’s Got Talent, recently teamed up with star-maker Simon Baptiste and Question Mark Entertainment and says he is approaching the journey with great humility.
“My focus and approach to everything is about going global. To achieve that, I recognise it requires hard work and a determination to succeed. So, my personal goals are to remain forever humble and be the best at whatever I have to commit to, be it a production or performance, and to help others get further as I am blessed.
“If the calendar becomes filled with gigs, I guess that’s a measure of success, but letting people feel appreciated, enjoy the spirit of Carnival, and be moved by my performances is the ultimate goal.”
