For dancehall artist Ricky Platinum, one of the biggest challenges of the music life is the travelling.

This year he kept up an exhausting schedule, touring with Grammy-nominated Jamaican musician Vybz Kartel, stopping in the Bahamas, Jamaica, Amsterdam and Paris, to name a few places.

He opened in New York for Vybz Kartel’s first performance in the United States. He is not done yet though.

Ricky Platinum will be performing in Bermuda on Boxing Day for Exclusive Entertainment’s Dancehall Madness.

He’s only here for a quick stop over, before going on to Charlotte, Miami, Jamaica and then the Virgin Islands.

“We first worked with Ricky Platinum over ten years ago,” said Exclusive Entertainment’s chief executive Quadir Maynard. “To have him back with us this Boxing Day is something special. He is at the top of his game right now, and we could not think of a better way to celebrate the season.”

Ricky Platinum said the crowd can expect good music, vibes, energy and pure entertainment.

No stranger to the island, he was here as recently as last summer for We Love Dancehall 2025.

“I love the vibes in Bermuda,” Mr Palmer said. “The energy is high. It reminds me of Jamaica.”

Known for his high-energy performances, his interest in being a DJ started at a tender age. Growing up in Maryland, his Jamaican parents would hold informal dance parties on Saturdays after chores were done.

His mother would dance and his father would spin the records.

“I would mimic my father,” Ricky Platinum said. .

When he got older he preferred playing with a friend’s sound system to hanging out.

At age 17, he got his first formal break through his uncle Blakka Platinum who introduced him to a sound system called Black Zone.

He started out as a selector known for having a good ear for music. Over time, his talents grew into DJ and master of ceremony work.

“It took a lot of ambition, hard work and sacrifice to get ahead,” he said.

At first his family were unsure about his DJ work.

“I grew up in the church,” he said. “My mother was thinking what are you doing? Who said you should be a DJ?”

She changed her mind when she was able to come to one of his jobs.

“I brought her to a cookout,” he said. “She saw how happy the people were to see me and how they reacted when I did my thing.”

His mother gave her blessing to his DJ work.

He is known for staying sober and focused and brings with him a keen sense of crowd awareness.

“Dancehall has always been popular, but I feel that it is evolving more and more,” he said. “More people are open-minded now. The same people who never listened to afrobeats or soca music are now listening to it.”

Ricky Platinum said social media pages such as TikTok have become a big outlet for musicians and artists. “Everyone has their phone in their hand,” he said.

• Dancehall Madness will be held on December 26 from 10pm to 3am at CedarBridge Academy in Devonshire. Local talent will include DJ Rusty G, DJ iBreeze, Qskull and DJ Jim Brown. Tickets are $75 available at bdatix.bm