NEW Jersey-based recording artiste Ky-Enie King is currently in the island promoting his single called Round of Applause. King said the song has been connecting well with his fans since its release in April.

“It is a song dedicated to poor people for all the work they have put in to make two ends meet. Unless one has experienced real poverty, he/she will never understand the struggles so this is my way of applauding them for their efforts. A lot of my fans can relate to it so it is well received,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Round of Applause is co-produced by King and Andrew Hawthorne.

In addition to promoting the single, Ky-Enie King said he is putting final touches on his upcoming ballad called Love Means Everything.

“I am a roots and culture artiste. People often called it ‘Rasta music, but I never term my music that way. I do world music rather, as the aim is to have a wide fan base and to touch the hearts of as much people as possible,” he said.

In his mid-30s, Ky-Enie King (given name Germaine Ferguson) spent his earlier years in Stewart Town, St Mary. Since his days at Ocho Rios High School, singing has been close to his heart, but he said he didn’t take it seriously until he released his debut single entitled Message in 1999.

“However, it was Wings of an Angel that gave me my break. When that song hit the airwaves people started to take note,” he said.

A year later, King got a further boost when his song Rain was featured as a soundtrack in the movie Shottas (2002), which stars Ky-Mani Marley and Spragga Benz.

“I really love what I do and I know that this industry can be challenging at times, but I am willing to push through,” he said.

— Simone Morgan