BOY band 8 is slated to perform at the second staging of Grassroots and Blankets scheduled for the lawns of 14 University Crescent in Mona, St Andrew, on Sunday.

The band last performed at this venue in October.

For the past five years, husband-and-wife team of Rohan Dwyer and Carol Dexter Dwyer has been using their years of experience in the entertainment industry to bring the band to the fore.

“Practically speaking, the challenges have been that they are typical young men. We’ve groomed, taught and mentored them since they were teenagers, and now they have transitioned into young men. So, the challenges are typical of those coming out of ‘childhood’ and entering young adulthood. Over the years, we’ve lost members, and been through the full gamut of experiences with them. We’ve often said, if anyone has watched The New Edition Story, we’ve had just about all those experiences with them, minus drug use and pregnancy… thank God,” Dexter Dwyer told the Jamaica Observer on Monday.

“We have passed on all we have learnt throughout our own experience in the music industry of over 25 years. I have worked on the performance side, and Rohan more so on the production and technical side of things. In imparting all we know and guiding them along the way, and they have grown exponentially since their days at Jamaica College. The development of their vocals, musicality, performance value and overall performance experience have gone from amateur to professional standards. They can perform on any stage or record in a studio and stand toe to toe with anyone else out there,” she continued.

In addition to 8, special guest performers will grace the stage.

The current six-member line-up of 8 are Adrian Bacchus — bass and vocals (band leader), George Campbell — drums and vocals (co-musical director), Jhada Dwyer — guitar and vocals (co-musical director and son of the Dwyers), Moses Estick — keyboards and vocals, Matthew Gillespie — vocals, and Dimetri Wynter — vocals.

“We have never considered the name of the band to be representative of the number of members in the band, as, at one point, there were even more than eight members. For us, 8 also appears as the sign for infinity and means continuity and exponential potential. The current six members have established a rhythm and a synergy that will finally take them to the next level,” said Dexter Dwyer.

Dexter Dwyer, who has been involved in music for more than two decades, said, “I am a songwriter, producer and background vocalist who has travelled widely with numerous Jamaican artistes, but my musical background goes way back to my childhood with the early influence of my parents who were both musicians. My mom, Beverley Dexter, was a classical and classically trained singer, and my dad, Noel Dexter, was a well-renowned composer, choir director of the University Singers and several other choirs, vocal coach and music teacher who worked at The University of the West Indies for over 40 years,” she said.

“My husband is a producer, sound engineer, sound designer and also a composer/beat maker. In his early years he gained valued experience as an engineer at Grafton, Tuff Gong and many other studios in and around Kingston. Together we have been featured on the recordings of various local and international artistes. We have produced some of the songs done by the band, 8, as well as other popular songs such as People Talk, sung by Etana, and also ventured into the production of a movie soundtrack for License to Wed starring Robin Williams and Mandy Moore… Our unified aim is to continue to produce and promote good, clean, music. That is our brand and has been so from day one. We feel strongly that the band’s impact on and presence in the Jamaican music scene provides the needed balance to what is currently promoted as Jamaican music. So, regular releases and performances will be the immediate aim, and in the long term we are hopeful to book shows, tours and record features with other artistes. We want the band to continue, with a modern twist, extending the legacies of great Jamaican bands of the past, such as Bob Marley and The Wailers, Third World, Chalice, Bloodfire Posse, and others whose content is wide-reaching, of substance, and still relevant today,” Dexter Dwyer added.