Denver Downer is Victorious
WANTING to produce a musical project that sonically represents the flora and fauna of the tropical Jamaican landscape, reggae artiste Denver Downer conceptualised his debut EP titled Victorious .
Officially released on November 12 on his record label SilvaLine Records, Downer said creating this project gave him an opportunity to allow people to “hear Jamaica through my eyes” and hopefully reflect even a fraction of the beauty that most seem to take for granted.
“Lyrically, the songs were inspired by the growing pains of life and, while fuelled by ambition, using sheer grit and resilience I seek to achieve maximum success on the journey to becoming the best version of myself. These stories are, therefore, bound by the common thread of triumph.” Downer told the Jamaica Observer.
Downer, who also goes by Denver Guitz, said he landed on the name Victorious, however, because of the many trials he had to face while creating the project.
“This EP was created during a period in time when things were rough – that was from 2018 to 2020. There were a variety of things that were happening during that time that were difficult to handle; it was me navigating my way through the downs of life,” he said.
“For example, while creating the EP, I was trying to do it under a certain timeline, and that [placed] a lot of stress on me. The other thing is, you know when situations don’t work out with you and other people and it makes you feel a little way?And then there were other situations, like the fact that my mother was ill,” he continued.
A musician at heart, Downer has been playing the guitar since he was a 15-year-old, and now that he has realised his dream — despite the challenges he has faced — he is now feeling “victorious”.
“The hope of achieving and surmounting these issues was there. I was very much determined to create a situation where I would have surmounted these problems and end up on the other side a victorious person,” Downer explained.
Noting that he was pleased with all the songs on the project, Downer was quick to point out that if he was to choose a favourite it would have to be Always.
“It has to be alright. I love this track because it’s probably the most honest snapshot of how I felt at a certain point in time. Things weren’t working as planned; I was frustrated and had no control over the outcomes. What choice then than to leave it to the man upstairs? The song transitions into a space of hope fuelled by the notion of victory, which makes it perfect for the EP, but I’m also humbled by the fact that I can’t do this alone,” Downer said, adding that the EP was distributed on Distrokid.