‘I have to give Bermuda my best’

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One might expect that reggae singer Collie Buddz, aka Colin Harper, might want to relax after a busy touring season with his band New Kingston, that had him singing all across Europe. Instead, he has returned home to perform on the Island for the first time in two years. He is rapidly making a name for himself worldwide with hit singles like ‘Holiday’ and ‘Come Around’.

A lot has happened to Collie Buddz since his last concert in Bermuda. He and his wife Zarah DeSilva had a baby, Sienna Rose, who is now 18 months old. He and his brother, Matthew Harper recently launched their own radio station, Vibe 103FM. The station’s philosophy is ‘less talk, more music’ and they bill themselves as ‘Bermuda’s Only Energy Station’. The Royal Gazette recently had a chat with him for an update on his life and career.

Are you excited about performing in Bermuda again?

If there was one show out of my whole career that I’ve looked forward to most, it would be this one. A full set with New Kingston for the first time in Bermuda. I’m really excited.

How come there has been a two-year gap since the last performance here?

I’ve just been so busy travelling that there has never been a right time to really organise a proper show. I have to give Bermuda my best.

Are you pleased with how well Vibe is doing in Bermuda?

I’m very excited to see the support and listenership that Vibe has been getting. To start a station playing current hits from every genre with energetic, live (emphasis on live) DJs mixing and limited commercial time is something that I think Bermuda needed. It’s new and fresh. It’s something that wasn't being capitalised on here in Bermuda but is predominant everywhere else in the world so it’s a great feeling to see it be as successful as it is, and it hasn’t even been four months yet. We will continue to get better and stay fresh. Music will always be the main focus.

How’s the touring circuit been this year?

Busy. I just got off a three-week tour in Europe doing shows in Holland, France, Austria, Germany, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. Every year it gets better and better. I also have a tentative tour in Australia for November of this year which I’m looking forward to as we haven't performed there yet.

What do you have coming up (besides the concert) locally and internationally?

I’m really looking forward to the show August 1 at Barr’s Bay. It will be the first time that I do a full set with New Kingston on the Island so I’m excited about that. I also have some American tour dates coming up. Last week I had a show in Virginia and then after Cup Match I have an East Coast tour that includes Massachusetts, New York, South Carolina, North Carolina, Connecticut and Maryland. That’s from August 8 to 16. Then it’s off to Hawaii in September. I’ll be performing in Kauai, Kahului, Maui and Honolulu.

Do you have any CDs coming out?

The new album will be released this year, I don’t have a set release date as of yet.

Sounds like you had a rather busy touring schedule this year, what do you do to relax?

Relax? I don’t relax ha ha. Working is my relaxation. I love working on music. It’s what I do. I’m an artist. I’ll relax after I win a Grammy, maybe.

How often do you come back to Bermuda?

I’m in and out of the Island on a regular basis. It all depends on my touring schedule but I’m home when I can be.

How do you manage your career and fatherhood?

My family is based here in Bermuda. My daughter is the joy of my life. It’s definitely not a struggle juggling my career, Vibe 103 and fatherhood. I owe it to my wife first and foremost and to everyone who is involved at Vibe 103. From my brother, DJ Smokey, and the Vibe DJ’s Chubb, Keem, Rusty G, Lifestyles, DJ Genie, to Chris Bennett our web and media designer/IT technician, to Steven Spenser Arscott, our head of sales at Vibe 103 and of course, Sherri Vanderpool who takes care of the ‘Vibe Info’ every morning. They are all a part of why it is easy for me to be a father and at the same time focus on my career as a recording artist.

The Collie Buddz and New Kingston concert will be on August 1 at Barr’s Bay Park in Hamilton. Doors open at 8pm, with showtime at 10pm. Limited advance tickets are $50; $30 for persons under 18 years old. The first 200 tickets can be purchased at www.ptix.bm for $40. Other tickets are available at Kit’n Caboodle, Jamaican Grill, Fish’n Tings, Gosling’s on Queen Street and Dundonald Street and Sovereign Jewellers.

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