DESPITE having been in the Malaysian music industry for two decades, veteran Malaysian reggae musician Sasi The Don says his dancey track 'Daddy Don' – released earlier this year – was his ticket to his first major international award nomination.
Recently, Sasi The Don – real name Sasidharan Chandran – was announced as a 'Best International Act' contender for the upcoming Caribbean Afro Music Awards (Cama) which will be hosted in London, United Kingdom next year.
Released several days ahead of Father's Day on June 19, Sasi The Don says 'Daddy Don' was an "eyeopener" for listeners that encouraged him to take things further.
"'Daddy Don' was definitely a song that broke me into new territories, for example for the first time my song gets played on Jamaican radio all over the country," he told The Vibes recently.
"My music video for the song was played on TV stations across Jamaica and stories were written about me in the national papers. So it was a bit of a blessing and there was acceptance of Sasi The Don and his music in that part of the world."
He said the song, and his past collaborations with big name reggae artists, including UK-based Maxie Priest, had packaged him in the right way, allowing things to "fall in the right place for me at the right time."
The 42-year-old said the nomination came as a surprise as he did not apply to take part in the Cama awards, adding he was informed by the organisers on the matter over email.
“I thought it was a spam message and when I read it, I was like ‘Wow! is this for real?’ It's an honour to be nominated along with some other well-known artists like Julian Marley (son of Bob Marley) and other African artists who I listen to on Spotify," he added.
However, Sasi The Don said this was not his first international award nomination as he once contended and performed at Anugerah Planet in Singapore in the mid-2000s.
"The Cama award is the first on a global stage, which is definitely big for me. I was surprised and did not know how to react as it is the kind of Caribbean music which I grew up listening to in my youth.
"There's a huge community of these musicians in the world, and I believe I am the only Asian to be nominated who has no African roots. I am 100% Indian from Malaysia and it's amazing to be the only Asian nominated."
The awards feature British and international acts covering genres ranging from Afrobeat, Reggae, Dancehall, and more.
Voting for the awards begins on December 1 and stretches on for seven months. During that time, nominees are encouraged to release as many songs and videos as possible ahead of the September finale.
In light of this, Sasi The Don has a new album entitled ‘My Second Wave’ which will carry about 11 tracks. So far, he has recorded six new songs for the full-length release. He will also have several music videos lined up ahead of the awards.
The album, he said, would be released on CD, vinyl, and across major digital platforms, and the songs would touch on various topics and conversations.
"I believe it's going to be a very interesting album and would represent Malaysia in the global arena. I want to be able to share the positiveness with a lot of people," he added.
"I've realised it was just a great 20 years of my music career with its ups and downs, which is why I called it 'My Second Wave'. It's also about looking out for each other and getting the magic to make things happen."
His upcoming single, 'Humpty Dumpty' will be launched on December 18, along with an accompanying music video.
"The single is about the magic we create with our lives. It's very important that people realise that there's so much to life and it's all up to our imagination," he said.
"With the whole world and the pandemic right now, it has changed and destroyed a lot of people's lives. A lot of families (are) broken, people losing jobs, and so many things.
"If we look at the positive sides, there are people who go around it, they find a solution because they put the magic in it. So the whole song about Humpty Dumpty is about sharing this magic with people from all walks of life, from kids to adults."
Those wanting to follow the artist's updates can log on to www.sasithedon.com. – The Vibes, November 28, 2020
