WITH his sophomore album Concrete World due this year and a single of the same name doing the rounds, reggae singer Mighty Mystic is making inroads on the American East Coast.

He is, however, intent on broadening his fan base globally.

Originally from St Elizabeth, Mighty Mystic relocated to Boston in 1989 where he got involved in music through his older brother Stephen, who was active on the Boston music scene.

Mighty Mystic, 32, whose real name is Kevin Holness, is brother to former Jamaican Prime Minister and Opposition leader Andrew Holness.

“When people do find out, they have their questions and want to hear your music just to see if it adds up and when they do the feedback is always ‘Wow this kid is pretty good’. But for my fans, who have been with me from day one, it’s just an added bonus,” he said.

In 2006, Mighty Mystic released his first single Riding on the Clouds.

“It was then that I decided to get serious about music,” he said. Riding on the Clouds was a fixture on several reggae charts and opened many doors for the singer.

He describes his brand of reggae as “hard roots”.

“Basically, it’s a blend of roots, rock, and reggae with some hip hop elements. I love to use the more edgy rock guitars on top of my music to give it that distinct sound and feel this particular element can be heard on my new song Concrete World,” he said.

His debut album Wake Up the World (released in 2010) managed to move roughly 4,000 copies. However, he is confident his upcoming project will move bigger units.

“I’m truly proud of my sophomore album. I compare it to having a child and waiting so long to have another that you are eager to see it out and show it to the world. The album is pretty much completed just at the mixing and tweaking stages before we roll out with it. The feedback on the first single has been great. That is really encouraging,” he said.