FOR 2015, veteran reggae singer Beres Hammond says he'll be spending a lot of time on the road.

“I'll be touring Europe, the USA and the Caribbean which doesn't give me much time for recording new material,” Hammond told the Jamaica Obser ver.

The singer was the guest artiste at the Christmas party of Columbus Communications Jamaica Ltd held on the grounds of the University of the West Indies, St Andrew, recently.

Without naming names, Hammond, 59, says he is pleased with the new voices that have emerged in reggae.

“I always envied people who can just write music.

For me a song is like giving birth, and I think we need more of that. Musicians need to write from their heart because these are the songs that will resonate with the fans over time,” Hammond explained.

Regarding the reason for his success, he said: “I have never asked myself about the secret to my success, but I think people appreciate the consistency of the quality of my songs and the fact that the music makes them feel better about themselves.”

And that he did on the evening.

“It was a no-brainer,” said Sean Latty, MD of Columbus Communications Jamaica Ltd.

Latty admitted to being one of the several generations that grew up listening to the stirring sounds of Hammond. However, age wasn't an issue as the crowd cheered from start to finish with each hit Hammond delivered.

“It was a beautiful show.

As I told everyone, I rarely do things like this. I believed that Flow could deliver on the high level of production value I expected, which is why I accepted,” Hammond said.

The singer sounded as fresh as on those first tracks that made him a fan favourite.

Hammond also added that the love from the audience inspires him on stage, of which there was plenty in the audience. Each familiar riff from Come Back Home, to What One Dance Can Do, to Putting Up Resistance sent fans into a frenzy. They sang along to classics like Step Aside and cheered when Hammond imitated Buju Banton for his part in Falling In Love. He slowed it down mid-set with No Disturb Sign, then picked the pace back up to close to thunderous applause on Rockaway, putting down a solid hour-long performance.