Moses I exposing young talent in home town

When Moses I hit reggae charts in 1998 with Crazy Look (alongside Capleton), it came after years of working the sound system scene in his native Papine and nearby August Town.

He has never forgotten his roots. The singer returns to that area on August 29 for the second staging of Papine Show Time, which takes place on Gordon Town Road. The inaugural show took place in January, 2025. Like its predecessor, Papine Show Time 2026 features Moses I and several artistes from August Town, Papine and adjacent areas. They include Israel Voice, Jah Perry, Comanche and Woppie Don. Jah Lando, Moses I’s son, will also be on the show.

“Dis is my likkle community, suh wi haffi do something for di community. Yuh have a lotta talented yutes in di area an’ dem jus’ need some exposure,” said Moses I.

He and his contemporaries benefited from attending and watching seasoned artistes perform on homegrown sound systems such as Black Star. Future stars such as Tiger, Brigadier Jerry and Anthony Malvo were some of the acts who made their names with Black Star.

Moses I kicked off his recording career during the 1980s with songs produced by Augustus Pablo and Philip ‘Fatis’ Burrell. His breakthrough came with Crazy Look, which was produced by Kings Of Kings.