‘Get High’ with positivity, says Freemynz
Today is a big deal for smokers or users of cannabis, a controversial plant also known in Jamaica as ganja, weed or herb. Celebrated globally by advocates as 4/20, it also inspired Get High, the latest single from reggae duo Freemynz.
Produced by Gate Citizens, Get High was released on April 19 and is Freemynz’ second single for 2024. Shango Trex, who comprises the duo with Catapila, told Observer Online that while they are in tune with 4/20’s objectives, the song is not a call for people to light up a spliff.
“Get High is definitely encouraging listeners to detach from life’s challenges and negative outlook, while inviting each and everyone to immerse themselves in the music and embrace moments of pure joyfulness,” he said. “While we don’t actively follow April 20 activities, we’re aware of its significance to those who celebrate their rights to destress and enjoy themselves.”
Shango Trex and Catapila co-wrote Get High with Andre Fennell, with whom they have previously collaborated. It is the follow-up to Disbelief which was released in January.
There are different stories surrounding the origin of 4/20. The best known tale can be traced to 1971 when five California high school students who called themselves The Waldos, used a ‘treasure map’ to search for “an abandoned cannabis crop”.
Freemynz was officially launched in 2013, but Shango Trex and Catapila have been friends since the early 1990s when they were working musicians in Japan. The former lives in New York while Catapila lives in Japan.
In 2011, they recorded Time to Shine, a song saluting Japan’s resilience following a devastating earthquake in that country. Other songs by Freemynz include a cover of Billy Ocean’s Caribbean Queen and Dangerous with D’Angel.
– Howard Campbell
