Deejay Cleva Criss is bemoaning what he claims is the lack of support for positive music. He says negative music appears to be accepted and is glorified by young adults.

“I think it’s because in this day and age, for most people, being positive is seen as “acting like you are better”. The fact is, nobody is perfect; everybody is flawed, everybody has trauma or challenges in some way or another, and these can be seen as negative. So, when you attempt to show someone a new or better perspective, it is interpreted as you being above them, without flaws, looking down on them. So, they would rather “stick to the evil they know”, said Cleva Criss.

Asked if there was a market for positive music today, he said: “Definitely. First of all, there are still people who are wise enough to hear a positive message in music and integrate it into their lives and better themselves. But for the majority, I feel the approach to delivering positive messages in music could be tweaked to have the same effect.”

Cleva Criss says his music is aimed at stimulating people and to show that positive music still has a place.

“I believe that instead of saying how good you are or how good someone can or should be, or what good qualities the listener must have, the music needs to take the listener on a journey of transformation. Starting where they are and guiding them through a process of getting better. Whether it’s your own experience or a made-up scenario, a shift in perspective or emotion needs to happen in the music, from negative to positive, so to speak, and that’s where I come in; this will be my approach throughout my artiste career,” Cleva Criss disclosed.

His latest single Memories, released in February, is a mirror of his own convictions.

“To an extent Memories is a reflection of my experience but more so a reflection of my own beliefs about what was happening. I believe that I was being overlooked by the ones I expected support from and that took a long time to bounce back from. It was that same shift in perspective that eventually made it possible for me to actually change the situation and find true supporters instead of sitting and waiting for support. So, in a sense, it is my experience, but more so a message to anyone in a similar situation, reminding them to focus on the bigger picture and not on roadblocks, especially the ones in your head,” Cleva Criss shared.

Cleva Criss is also a producer and has a recording studio called Clevamix Records, which is located in Duncans, Trelawny.

He has produced songs for artistes such as Grampa Entatain, Charly Black and Alexx-A-Game.

“I became an artiste because I have long admired the way that musicians and artistes use their talent to create music that stimulates the people’s emotions. Music is a very powerful force, and I believe it should be used positively to stimulate people,” he said.