KINGSTON, Jamaica — Neo Dub poet Simone Fruittree knows only too well that rebirth and transformation are often wrought through pain and trauma.

The poet, whose real name is Simone Dewar, recalls her own reinvention was engineered through a painful 72-hour binge of self-reflection.

“The name Fruittree came to me plain as day after about three days of deep self-reflection and questions. I was unhappy with my life and the repetitive cycle of getting up, clocking into a job or jobs that I hated,” Dewar explained. But, it wasn’t the jobs, she soon discovered that the misery was within.

“One day, I went home and turned off all the lights, my phone, and all electronics. I sat, I stood, I took baths in complete silence, and consciously breathed while asking myself: What is my purpose? What am I here to do on this physical realm?”

Those were the quintessential existential questions that have befuddled humans for centuries…and it moved her into action. And voila…her ‘Fruittree’ alter ego was born. Within three days, she felt compelled to pick up a pen, triggering a hurricane of words she recorded in her notebooks.

“I’ve never done this before. In that process, I knew that I was going to be known as Fruittree; that my tagline would be: “Fruittree forever blessed! I can give you fruits, but you have to do the rest,” she recited happily.

A former legal manager, Dewar walked away from her chosen vocation to pursue her art, and she hasn’t regretted it.

“Me identifying myself as a Fruittree is a daily experience that feels divine, because I could only connect to my root, my truth, my fruits by going within myself. There was nothing outside for me to obsess over, as my real treasures came from me connecting to my higher self,” Dewar shared.

“The minute I relaxed my flesh and communed with my spirit everything that was mine came to the forefront,” she said.

Dewar is promoting her latest single, Pon Yuh Mind which was released on digital download platforms on July 11. The track is produced by her label Push A Yute Inc., in collaboration with the acclaimed production team Natural High.

The Pon Yuh Mind song blends powerful lyricism, infectious rhythms, and Dewar’s unmistakable energy as she showcases her artistic evolution while staying true to her dub and reggae roots.

“I’m thrilled to share ‘Pon Yuh Mind’ with the world,” she said. “This track is a reflection of my passion for dub poetry and my commitment to creating music that inspires and uplifts”.

With the release of her new track, Simone Fruittree is poised to solidify her position as a leading voice in the dub poetry scene where she is known for other singles such as Lessons, Black and Naked, Online Love, Coming, Adam and Eve and Leader.

These songs will be part of an EP called Collections which will be released later this year. In the meantime, she has been performing the pieces at live poetry readings all over the Corporate Area.

She has released four books — Fruits and Truth, two children’s books, plus a novel titled Carry Her Burdens. They are all available on Amazon.

“I am just bringing the fruits with my words, I am bringing the seeds of knowledge,” she stated.

Dewar will be touring this summer as she promotes her latest single with intimate performances in small venues across the European continent.