EMERGING singjay Singa Vytal describes his mother as a “caring woman who wore dad’s shoes”.

“My mom will forever remain very special in my life. She is so significant for more than a thousand reasons – for teaching me to be respectful to others, discipline, having self-worth, and determination to achieve my goals,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Today is Mother’s Day and Singa Vytal said despite the fact that his mom migrated to the United States in search of better life nearly two decades ago, she still remains close to his heart.

“I will call her. I’m sorry she isn’t here for me to cook for her and pamper her,” he said.

He recalls his formative years living in downtown Kingston with his mother, Ionie Brown and his four siblings. She faced many challenges as a single mother.

“Mom kept moving from one tenement yard to another because landlords those days were afraid to rent their houses to anyone with more than two or three children, ’cause they claim children would ruin their premises,” he said, adding that she peddled goods including soaps, combs and toothpaste.

The singjay, who now resides in St Catherine, said it is his love for his mother which influenced his latest released song, Inhumane.

“This song comes out of the abuse which so many of our mothers face. It is so heartbreaking when I listen and hear how Jamaica’s women – even our elders – are mistreated and murdered. We need to treat them with love because they are mothers of creation. We should shower them with gifts, not only on Mother’s Day but all year round,” he said.

Inhumane, self-produced on his VB Production imprint, was released with an accompanying video on May 2.

Singa Vytal (given name Stenneth Waugh) was born in Cumberland, Manchester, but relocated to downtown Kingston. He attended Denham Town High in Kingston and Portmore HEART Academy in St Catherine.

He recorded his first song, Sad Ending in 2010 (One Sleeve Records label). His other songs include Propaganda (2014), Reflection (2015) and Retrospection (2020).