Gyptian - winston sill

Despite tragedy and loss, Gyptian is keeping his head up.

It's quite ironic that Gyptian's hit debut single was titled Serious Times.

After all, there were several such experiences to come for the Jamaican talent, following the release of that chart-topping song, and the subsequent release of his debut album, My Name is Gyptian.

TRAGIC

First, in 2006, he lost his twin sons, after they were born prematurely. Then, one of his best friends, deejay Miguel 'Marco Brand' Skinner, died of a suspected heart attack. And then, part of his Jamaica-based studio, Ten Times Strong, was destroyed in a fire.

So it's perhaps no wonder that the sophomore album from the 24-year-old artiste, is called, I Can Feel Your Pain. Was it difficult for him to record such a personal album?

"Not really," says the artiste born Windel Beneto Edwards. "I have been through difficult times, but overall, I think this is a nice album. And it's not really the type of album you'd expect from a Jamaican artiste. I like to try and show my versatility. With the last album, I didn't have a whole lot of say when putting it together. So this one is a little more personal. It's a romantic album but it's also an album you can learn from and hold a vibes from."

Gyptian's positive attitude is almost remarkable when you consider the tragedies he has experienced in recent years. But it seems that it's his spiritual outlook on life that keeps him going.

WORST

"I think I'm over the worst" he says. "Losing my kids, losing my friend, my studio burnt down... there were so many things. But you know, the road is not easy."

"Whatever is to be, will be. When my kids died, I just thought: Why me? I didn't do anything wrong. And losing my friend... Me and him were hanging out that day and were supposed to meet up later. But then I found out he was dead. That was hard.

We used to share one food. He was like my best friend. But you know... the Lord works in mysterious ways. It was His will. Of course, the memories are there but I'm in a good place now."

One of Gyptian's most striking qualities is his humility.

While many artistes of his age may be tempted to brag about their success and grab every opportunity to hog the limelight, Gyptian isn't into showboating.

"Whenever I do good things, I don't want the public to know about it. People say that's the wrong way to go about it, but I think it's the right way. Coz if you're doing something from the heart, you don't need to tell everybody."

HYPE

"You don't need the hype and the publicity, where people will be saying, 'Oh Gyptian is such a nice guy.' I know I'm a nice person! But I don't need to tell everybody."

"And also, if you do something good for one community, the next community might turn 'round and say, 'how come you gave to that community and not to us?' So I just do my thing on a low profile.

To me, it's not really about being generous. It's about being real."

I Can Feel Your Pain is out now on VP Records.