Sweet reggae from Honey Pot
GERMAN record label Silly Walks Discotheque is reaping sweet rewards with its Honey Pot ‘riddim’, which is driven by Chronixx’s big hit, Smile Jamaica.
Good Reggae Music by Torch, Brothers (Jah9), Strive (Exco Levi and Kabaka Pyramid), Sweet Killer (Ginjah), Why Should I (RC), One In a Million (Da’Ville), and Lonesome Soldier by Lutan Fyah are also on the popular
one-drop beat.
“The Honey Pot is our first release which has had a deeper impact on the Jamaican market,” Joscha Hoffmann, a member of Silly Walks, revealed in a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer.
He spoke about Smile Jamaica’s success.
“We knew instantly in the studio while Chronixx was voicing it, that the song had the potential to be a big hit. We were deeply touched by the emotions that he put into the song and
that’s why we all together decided right away to shoot a video for it in the days after the recording.”
The 32-year-old Hoffmann and 45-year-old colleague Oliver Schrader are from the city of Hamburg. Both are long-time reggae fans.
“We both love the variety within reggae and we believe that’s one of the things which makes the genre so unique. We love the original roots music such as the Mighty Diamonds, but from the time dancehall evolved itself, there are some artistes like Buju Banton, Garnet Silk and Sizzla that we admire,” Hoffmann explained.
Silly Walks started as a sound system in 1991 and began producing songs four years later. In 2001, the label released its
well-received Songs of Melody compilation album.
Silly Walks Discotheque’s collaboration with reggae artistes actually started with German singer Gentleman.
“We began working with Gentleman while he was the MC on the sound system and since then we have worked with Konshens, Capleton, Luciano, Tanya Stephens, Turbulence, and Jah Vinci,” said Hoffmann.
With several major reggae festivals and emerging home-grown acts, Hoffman describes the German reggae scene as vibrant.
Silly Walks Discotheque has a number of follow-up projects in the pipeline. These include songs by singer Christopher Martin, deejay Busy Signal, Exco Levi, Hawaiian reggae artistes Fiji and J Boog, and Swedish reggae artiste Etzia.
