Jamaican reggae artist Chronixx yesterday graced the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus, where he delivered messages of spirituality and love to an auditorium filled with students.
Chronixx, born Jamar McNaughton, is in Guyana for GTT’s Smile Guyana concert, which is scheduled for tonight.
However, hundreds of students gathered in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre for the “Chronixx on Campus” event, which promised them the opportunity to interact with the musician, pose questions, and possibly even memorialise the moment with a photo.
There was no shortage of love and support for Chronixx from those gathered, who cheered vociferously for him.
The event mainly took the form of an informal interview, with questions first being directed to the singer by GTT consultant Samantha Gooden as they sat facing the crowd, which was made up of largely of students, past and present, and faculty members.
Asked what has been one of his greatest life lessons, he noted that life itself is one “ever-unfolding lesson.”
“One thing I can tell you is that the most beautiful things is to know that even what we hope for as freedom sometimes is not really true and perfect freedom. The greatest freedom is when someone can listen to themselves speak from within and know that it is the truth,” he responded.
On his song “Likes,” which is featured on his latest album, “Chronology,” Chronixx commented on the importance of pursing that which you love, and placing less emphasis on the opinions of others.
“When I was writing the song “Likes,” it’s one of the songs on the album that I produced maself because it’s one of those songs that come to you fully, like everything come to you one time. And it’s very important to be in the meditation of love because it creates a platform for you to be given your gifts, you know,” he said.
“…Personally, I chose to pursue music because it was the one thing that had this deep, unconditional love, and the one thing that would unfold itself to me without me having to chase it… For me, I have managed to overcome the fear of not having people’s approval and that was the first step towards me releasing the music that I truly love; recording the music that I truly love,” he added.
He spoke at length of that “truth” and its link to spirituality and love, themes that feature heavily in his music.
“You’re known—whether it is on the radio show or the stage or on a TV programme, to be very conscious and you speak about life even though you’re young,” Gooden began, before being cut short by Chronixx, who asked her to clarify exactly what she meant by “consciousness.”
“So very often when it comes to youth the role models are not one to speak so positively, whether it’s about life or love. You’re considered to be one who speaks about romance as well as resilience with the same kind of [fervor]. That is what I mean when I talk about consciousness,” she stated.
“…As role models and so on are concerned, role models are very important for the continuation of culture and for the molding and nurturing of the human spirit. It’s very important. And we have many role models. Many different kinds of role models. And I think everyone is a role model, whether he or she accepts it or not because somebody is watching you—some child or some adult or someone is looking to you and hoping to see what their soul wants and what your soul needs. And they will find it somehow,” he shared.
Later on, while answering a question posed by an audience member, as to how he intends to engage his fan base and assist in the achievement of their goals, he would touch on that point again, noting that one way to influence others is simply through providing an example they are encouraged to emulate.
“…It takes a lot of spiritual focus to do what you love and to be a living example, and the only thing I needed in life, despite my lacking of certain material resources, was an example—an example from Haile Selassie, an example from Empress Menen, an example from my grandparents, an example from Walter Rodney, an example from…so many great people in the world…,” he said.
“I’ve been extremely blessed by them, by the amount of focus and work and integrity that they invested of themselves… knowing that I could have gone and gotten a good piece of the pie, but to be someone of creative integrity and artistic integrity doesn’t come cheap. But how do I engage the youth now? I engage the youth by talking to them spirit directly. So rather than someone having to print my speech in a book, you go and listen to it and feel it for yourself,” he added.
