WASHINGTON DC-BASED SINGJAY MONSOON BEDWARD, IS MAKING A NAME IN LATIN AMERICA!

Though he has been recording for over 30 years, not much is known about singer Monsoon Bedward in his native Jamaica, but that has never bothered the veteran artist. Based in Washington DC, he has made a name in Latin America with some well-received songs.

He hopes to continue that trend with My Roots, a nod to the Motherland, Africa. It is produced by Coco Reggae Foundation, a company based in Costa Rica, one of his strongest markets.

“It’s in rotation on the local radios and DJs been playing it a lot in the clubs, My Roots is also been promoted heavily in Ghana and Kenya,” said Monsoon Bedward.

Originally from rural Clarendon parish in Jamaica, the singjay has done the rounds in Latin America, which is a thriving market for dancehall and reggae. Producer Rvssian, Sean Paul and acts like Capleton, Alborosie and Inner Circle, perform there regularly.

Monsoon Bedward, who has lived in “DC” for over 25 years, counts Costa Rica, Colombia, Argentina and Panama as his most receptive markets. He established CostaJamic Productions with Costa Rican interests, which released his first album, Monsoon Storm, in 2015.

“My music got popular in those regions because of the groundwork we put in. For example, I travel there two to three times a year, support the radios, sound systems and DJs that play my music with drops and jingles,” he explained.

Getting a hit song in Jamaica, Monsoon Bedward added, does not concern him.

“It’s not that important, although it would be nice to get a hit song there.”

The Coco Beach Fiesta in Costa Rica, and Black Mamba Dancehall Bash in Bogota, Colombia are among the shows he has performed in Latin America. His popular songs in the region include Answer Yuh Phone and Madiba, a tribute to Nelson Mandela.