SINGING D sees himself as a crusader for reggae music in chilly Edmonton, the major city of the province of Alberta in Canada.

And in a city where rock and roll, heavy metal, blue grass and country and western genres cater to the taste of a pre-dominantly Caucasian citizenry, the Jamaican-born artiste is waging what could be viewed as a one-man war in spreading the reggae gospel.

It’s tough, but he fights on.

“I have been in the struggle, and I learn from the struggle of others, so once there is life, there is inspiration,” gushes the 37-year-old, who was christened Delroy Parr.

“There is a reggae scene in this part of Canada, but you won’t get more than 500 or 600 people for a concert for example… but what reggae artistes here do is to use the Internet to promote their work to a larger audience,” Singing D told Splash by telephone from Canada.

Music to him is more intrinsic than simply playing instruments or belting out a tune, but rather embraces “the mission” of keeping the flames of Jamaican culture alive in a hostile environment.

“We are not daunted by the struggle as we are doing everything we can to keep our culture alive in this kind of environment. Like Capleton, we will keep the fire burning even in this very cold place… it (the fire) has always been there and nobody can take it away,” said Singing D.

The singer’s passion comes as no surprise, not when people like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Third World, Gregory Isaacs, Jacob Miller, Freddy McGregor and Tarrus Riley have been his source of inspiration.

Toiling in the musical vineyard for some 15 years, Singing D believes his time has come.

“I would say that I am on the brink of breaking onto the popular stage, and I am convinced of this partly because of the experience I have gained honing my craft over the years. Plus at the moment I am experiencing the best period of my musical career since Xpanda started to manage my affairs, and Theodore ‘Ninja’ Dalhouse and Tarrus (Riley) have been great mentors to me, so I have some good men in my corner right now,” he said. Xpanda Musik Productions — based in Morant Bay, St Thomas — is owned and operated by Dalhouse and Riley.

The production company, which records many of Riley’s hit songs, has a new release for Singing D entitled In The Silence.

The singer, who describes his music a mixture of reggae, gospel, soul and R&B, has three CD compilations to his credit. Reggae Soul, The Gospel and Covers for Lovers aptly capture the artiste’s smooth singing style and versatility, with each album delivering unique sounds and blends.

Born in May Pen, Clarendon, Singing D left Jamaica as seventeen-year-old for Canada when his family uprooted and moved to the northern chills in 1991 in search of a better life. But his heart remained in Jamaica.

“I have been coming back home, but I really need to come back to fully reunite with the music here, you know to launch myself to the authentic Jamaica fans… sometimes you have to return to the root to find yourself then sprout to where the music takes you,” said the former Lennon High School student.

Singing D, a landscape artist, said while it easy for him to be branded a Rastafarian with his dreadlocked hairstyle and ‘rootsy’ demeanour, self-definition is the tune he carries.

“I wouldn’t want to say I am Rasatafarian because that can be so political at times, I’d rather be known as a son of God; a son of Abraham… I am a spiritual person and this comes out in my music,” he bleats.

Performing across the length and breadth of Canada, Singing D has shared the stage with Buju Banton, Richie Spice, Elephant Man, Spanner Banner, Sanchez and Thriller U to name a few.

With an annual gospel showcase, church concerts, parties and weddings, Singing D remains busy on the tough Canadian music scene through his company Uptoparz Music, owned by Kevin Simpson.

— Sean Williams