Skarra Mucci ADD
Perfect Timing! for an Interview with Skarra Mucci
10/03/2023 by Gardy Stein
From Kingston to Stuttgart to Geneva to Paris to Barcelona: the journey of Calvin Davis, better known as Skarra Mucci, has been a turbulent one, but his talent, his charisma and most of all his will to succeed have always kept him on track. Today, he can not only look back on eight studio albums as well as countless collaborations and performances on stages big and small, but also on his own bar in Barcelona and a flowering CBD business.
Merely a day after the release party of his new album Perfect Timing, he took time off his busy schedule to speak with Reggaeville about all these things and more, resulting in an hour-long conversation about his music, the state of the world today and our need to wake up:
Our last interview was 9 years ago… how has life been treating you since, what were you up to?
Honestly, life is good! Every day is better than the one before. A little more work, things to do, being occupied, for the good reasons. I keep pushing my career as a self-employed artist, I'm always pushing, pushing, pushing… I have people who work with me for the better of my career and I have one of the best managers in the world, Damian I-nity, he puts in a lot of work! (laughs) We are moving forward ever since we connected.
When was that? Cause I remember last time you told me you do everything on your own, including promotion and booking.
That's so true! We work together for 8 years now. I would say in the last 5 years I became so over-occupied that it seems that I'm lazy in the music area...
Not at all! You did more than 24 singles and collaborations in the last few years, I checked!
Yes, but in the same time, he was expecting us to be doing more, and that I would put in some more media work, pushing, promoting... He normally tell me that if I would put all the energy that I'm putting in my CBD brand, my bar, my other areas, if I would have put all that energy in music, we would be on the top. But I think we are good, and we are on top! We are not number one or whatever, but that's because we are not competing with anyone. We are just doing us, doing what we do. Skarra Mucci which is me and him to be honest, with all the work he put in, we do 50/50 almost in everything, that makes it even more easy to work. This is the real thing! Now that we have licensed the new album to an external company, it also gives us more headway, cause there are more people, more facilities, things that we don't have every day in our circle, connections we don't have, so… it has broadened our spectrum!
Before we talk about the album, can you say something about the brand you mentioned, and the bar?
In 2019, I started a medicinal-cosmetic brand. We do painkiller creams, painkiller drops, CBD oil, CBD ointments, CBD crystals for epilepsy, cancer, rheumatism, we have medicines for almost everything. It's called King Skarra Pharm. The website is down right now, but the [physical] shop and the actual brand is still running. To replace the website, I do the festivals!
So you do a vendor stand at festivals?
Yes, mostly Rototom, but also other local festivals, so I'm with the people directly. And most of the time I'm running the shop also when I'm not on tour. I sell CBD flowers too, I' m rated as a five-star company, we have the best flowers from all over the world for the people to enjoy. And because it carries my name, I want it to be always top, so that I will be seen on the top level, this is where I'm going really! And then I also have the bar that I started, it's officially on paper called Skarra Mucci, but the bar is actually called La Rouge.
Where is it?
It's in Barcelona, in front of the fat cat of Botero, it's famous. It's a tourist attraction, people come there to take photos every day, so it's right there at the corner. It's like a Jamaican cocktail bar, so we have mostly Reggae-oriented music, sometimes we have a little Drum'n'Bass, Dub, sometimes we have Afrobeat mixed with Dancehall, like last night we had Reggae, Dancehall, Afrobeat and Cumbia, all blended in one for the release party. Tonight, we have strictly Dancehall… I gave the Saturdays to Love Messenger, they have been like a foundation sound in Barcelona.
This is it, and between everything else, studio and the coordination of what I do, the recordings… I'm running a lot! Tomorrow, Sunday, we have Flamenco on Sundays, so I have to decorate the place for Flamenco [laughs].
You live in Barcelona now?
Yes, since around five years. I like it! Not more than where I was before, but it's a different place, a different energy. We learn from the whole world, we are a part of the whole world, we just have to acknowledge that everywhere we are, we are at home! It's just that different parts of the house look different. I just see all of it because my universe where I am living, everywhere has its own spice and flavors, so… here I am for now, let's see how long I will be here.
I've never been to Barcelona. I've been to Madrid two weeks ago for the first time ever, it's really beautiful!
I love Madrid, too! Last night there were friends of mine from Madrid who came to visit. I didn't see them for like eight years, and they came for the release party!
Wow, that's cool! In a way I am here for the release party too, so tell us about last night… Did you present the tracks live?
It was more a presentation. We played the tracks that are out already since a while, like the Yannis Odua track [Roots Rock Reggae] and the L'Entourloop feature, Street Dance. I ended up singing a little bit of that one on a Sleng Teng riddim last night, but we didn't actually perform the album, it was really more like a party. The outturn was great, people drank a lot and party a lot and scream a lot, we had to kick them out at the end cause they didn't want to leave! [laughs]
Sounds like a great party! Now turning to the album, how did you pick the name, Perfect Timing?
Honestly, it started with the track. It's always been in my head that it's the perfect time now for all the people in the world to finally wake up to reality and stop having this… I don't know how to call it, following this egoistic-brainwash-influencer kind of modern style that people are having. It is a time for people to acknowledge themselves, respect each other and themselves too, knowing that everyone is just as valuable as yourself. I've been somehow pushing this narrative you could say for the last ten years, trying to get people to focus more on self-love but not selfishness! To love yourself, understanding love, that you know what love is, that you could share it with anyone, the understanding… you don't even have to support, you don't have to associate, but just understand. Recognize that everybody is different, everybody has their way of being, and also have a better look around… We are very egoistic, and everything is based only on money in the modern world, there is no real personal view. "Can you pay me? What am I gonna get?" That's the only personal view people have nowadays. They would get their parents into the old-age home to sell their property, everybody is on a kind of money ego.
So, when I got the beat, which was created by my band, Dub Akom, I just put on the earphones and the whole inspiration of the melody, and the things I was thinking about at that moment came to life. [sings] "It's the perfect timing, to be out all morning, could be dusk or dawning, I'll be always smiling!" I was thinking it doesn't matter what time it is, or how rough the time is, I'm not gonna pay attention to all the bad things happening and make my own self depressed, you know, I'll be always smiling. And everyone could have that smile also if they would just remember that they have someone who loves them. If it's their mama, the parent, the friend, somebody out there who cares for you, and if there is no one, I do! That was the message of the song. But the song did not get released in that lockdown era, so when the album was getting put together, we were thinking what to call it and I thought 'Hey, we thought about many things, but it's the perfect time!'
It's been five years that I didn't do a real Skarra Mucci release, it's even longer if we would take out the One Love Family combination album, it would be seven, so I thought it would be the right time, the perfect time for the album. And we wanted to drop it also at the perfect moment, for the first time I listened to what they always tell me: "Release after August, after the summer!"
If you listen to the song, to what it's saying, this is my message every time, the whole album is saying that. That you have all these different people in the world, some it's only about the money, some are slaving themselves… I don't mean past-time slavery, I mean now, people are slaving themselves for the things they wish for that they don't really need. They wanna wear the brands, they wanna have the newest car, and they would do anything for that! Which… these things are not really essential for living. To have a healthy, stable life, none of this is needed! As I was saying, I was thinking like that throughout the whole album, so it comes in Who Fool Dem, in Mistry Babylon [sings] "Set my people free!" Then you have Revolution…
Revolution! I wanted to ask about this. In which spirit did you create that song?
This song was recorded… it's one of the oldest songs on the album, along with Mistry Babylon, which was recorded in 2019, just before when they were talking about the pandemic and the lockdown is gonna come, it was recorded then, mixed and mastered back then already. It was a time when I was singing songs like [sings] "The war it starts longtime so stop act like you're blind!" I been trying to create songs to warn the people, in 2020, when everybody had to get some kind of vaccination to even move around. It was a time for these songs to be out already, but most of these tracks never get released at all, so we kind of let them be… We had a long pause in the houses, during this time I went to the studio to work, a lot of recording, and then came this song, which is already 2020 after the first lockdown was over.
It also talks about the world we are living in right now. People stand up for their rights, and especially if we look to Africa, there is a lot going on, there have been coups in the last few years, in Mali, Guinea, Niger, Gabon… how do you see this movement?
Of course, it's been too long that too many people closed their eyes, black and white. Not being racial, I understand that the white diaspora, like Europe, they live from this, their foundation is built up on this. It's hard to move the carpet from under the feet of people standing on it. So as long as people are not recognizing that they are the ones depriving the African diaspora from their wealth, all these things, it's really been time! Without Africa, most of the world would be in sufferation. Even Tesla, as much as they want to be nice and good and they are talking good things, they are still mining cobalt in Africa, and not under good conditions. It's good that the people are suddenly paying attention, it took a long time, but that's why, because it's happening so fast, it's like a shock…
You have to understand, it's like with anyone of us. If you are bullying me all the time, and I'm not speaking out, I just become like a volcano. At one moment, it's gonna blow! This is what's happening now, they have put so much pressure in the bottle, and still pumping hot air inside, and now it explodes and there are glass splinters in everyone's eyes, but it's their own fault. They knew better but have never done better.
In the song Perfect Timing, I'm also saying that people should respect the value of each person, the value and beauty within each one. Like you were saying about Revolution, everyone is revoluting now, cause they ain't got food, the parents can't feed them, no one is teaching them anything that is making sense, so they are looking for someone to lead! And if there is no leader, there will be a mass of people who are leading towards the same goal. If everybody is moving for the same values, people are finally standing up! It's time for revolution everywhere. We are living in a war zone, and everyone is on their own. So if we don't find the time to get together, realize that we are all one and that we are fighting for the same reason to stay alive, not just surviving but to stay alive and do the things we like, we will end up in a big, big destruction! Even in Jamaica, it's the same thing! There is so much guns everywhere, it's like toys! The kids are using it like we used to use water guns back in the days! Because they grow up with it, it's been around, it's like nothing… yeah! Everything is a little bit off.
Mistry Babylon indeed! That song was produced by Black Bandana, can you introduce them to us?
Black Bandana is a band from France. I was not the one who produced the song with them, it was my friend from D&H [Yohann "Daddy" Mallet], they are the ones who introduced the riddim to me, it's been already five years now. When I recorded the song, I loved it so much, but I only met them after, really nice people, and I love the riddim, you can feel the energy in the beat.
You already mentioned Dub Akom, who also recorded some of the tracks on the album, who else was involved in the production?
Manudigital, Krak In Dub, L'Entourloop…
Their piece is one of the first singles out already, I just watched the video. Is it the same guy who did the One Love Family album cover, Florian Weigel?
Yes, the same guy who did the Greater Than Great video, the My Sound video, the Life's So Rich video… he used to be my keyboard player, you know, he was one of the people playing in Rawcaz Clan and he's the only one who's still working with me actively. He did a lot of the videos, but I work with other videographers too. For Mashing Up The World it was a guy from Slovakia, and the next video Dancehall and also Mistry Babylon video should be dropping this month.
In the video for Street Dance, your alter ego tries to get to a show, and in the end makes it, but so many bad things are happening to him on the way… was that inspired by a true story?
Well, the story is that it's a hard struggle to do what you love, but you have to be consistent. Don't watch the travel, just look at the destination you wish to reach. You will get disappointed very easily, [speaks with funny voice] "Ah another thing, I better go back a mi yaad!" No, you have to be steadfast! I wish to get there, I will get there, and there's nothing gonna stop me from getting there, it's simple as that! I would have wished in the part where the police boat come out, I wish they would have escorted me to the venue!
[laughs] The other single that is out on video already is Roots Rock Reggae with Yannis Odua. Where did you shoot that video?
In Marseille, in France. It was all arranged by the record company and my manager and Baco Records, all companies came together and we did a I would say perfect job. We had the script to follow, everything was really nice.
Any other songs that will come on video?
At the moment we are still thinking about how to do the Johnny Osbourne video, if we should go again cartoon or if we should do an actual video.
How did the connection with him come about anyway?
Honestly, this is one of my biggest dreams come true. Since the '80s already I wanted to record with Johnny or remix or sample or do something, I just love his voice. Even though the voice has changed over the years, but you always hear it's Johnny, really clear. We have worked together a couple of times, sharing stages I mean, and after we met in India the last time, I started thinking more which song to do, I wasn't really sure. But this song is really one of my favorite songs [sings] "Ooooh, what a La La", and I didn't want to just use the chorus or create something around the chorus, that was too cheap. For me, meeting Johnny Osbourne so many times, even in Paris, I thought this was something to do. So, we got it done and we were recording with Manudigital as the engineer, in Paris, we had a wonderful day, really and truly.
Yes, and it's so good for those artists, the veteran artists, to be present on albums that are released now, to be relevant still!
To be there right now, having some new stuff out even though it's an old song, but the youths don't listen to old stuff.
So, if a new album comes out, it's great to have them on it!
True. And on top of this I'm so proud of it, cause this whole situation with the Johnny Osbourne song… I had the idea of doing a lot of EPs before the lockdown, so the L'Entourloop EP was the first one, it should have been done in 6 months, it took a year and a half! Second EP would have been with Manu Digital, then a Mad Professor EP too, but because of the pandemic, all of this didn't manifest…
There is another feature on the album with Derrick Sound, can you introduce him?
These are friends of mine from Geneva which I worked with for many years. They are my legal consultants, they produce in association which Likkle Lion, Evidence Music, which is my publisher. They made some riddims and I told them I would do something on it, and we end up doing this song three years ago. I already released it once with a video and we decided it was perfect for the Perfect Timing, so we remixed it and remastered it and put it on the album, and I will be performing it now in the shows. I have a completely new show, there will be almost no songs that I performed in the past apart from the big hits like Dreader Than Dread, My Sound, Movie Star, most of the other songs are gone. We will put eight new tracks in the show, all from the album, so we will keep the Reggae energy, the Dancehall energy, high!
An element that surprised me was the interlude, Free Your Soul, it's almost like a Gospel. What made you put that in?
Because of the same reason, that the people are too tied up into everything valued on money. We are the world, we are the people, we are everything, we created the Babylon system we live in, we are responsible for this technocracy or this hypocrisy, capitalism, whatever it is. We the people! We support it, we vote for it, we follow by it, it cannot function. So, you have to free your soul! It's an old Gospel song, very old, I used to sing it in the church when I was a child, because I started a s a Gospel singer, so in the church choir, we used to sing that.
As I said, it's a surprising element and it's really touching. But what touched me the most, the song I have to mention, it's the first song Here I Come. The way this song starts off with the vocals, it just goes straight to your heart!
Honestly, when I got this song the first time, I already decided what I was going to do. I was in Germany, I got the beat and I put it in and we recorded it. It took a little while because I wanted to… it was a little complex and I wasn't sure if I was going to sing "Zion" or "Fyah, here I come". When we finished recording, I-nity my manager arrived, and he said, "You don't hear Zion anymore!" and I recorded again, "Zion, here I come!". The sample sounded to me like "Fyah, here I come!", so we recorded it twice.
They say the works you do in your life follows you, you know. Sometimes you don't follow up on it, but it follows up on you.
Yes, that's why you always have to do good works and make sure your Karma is balanced!
Exactly! Do good all the time, there is nothing to worry about, have a clear mind and everything will be fine! There is no better feeling, you feel good, you feel free. You just have to realize that it's all about the education. This is what this album is about, a wake up call. Perfect Timing to understand, imagine, focus and see the reality, it doesn't have to be written in black and white, if you know it, you know it. You don't have to look at it if you don't want, but you should. And at least take a minute to just look at it, maybe you find something interesting, don't just close your eyes and turn your back. I'm just saying, wake up everybody!
And you'll be saying that on tour as well, which is starting soon, right?
Yes, I will be starting touring on the 7th of October til the 20th of December, and then I'm going to Jamaica for a month.
All the best for that, and safe travels! Do you wish to add anything to our conversation?
Big up Team Reggaeville! What I'd like to say to the Reggaeville readers and listeners and watchers… I'm always thankful. We'll be on tour in your city, you just have to come out, it will be magical. And we are always saying, 'Love is the answer!', but remember to love yourself first, because without that love experience, you cannot share love. Learn to love yourselves, remember you are first, but no one is second, everybody is first, just like you. We are individually different, we are unique, and we will never find another person like ourselves. Remember what you wish for yourself, if it's good you should wish it for everyone else, because we are not alone. We are all in this together, and without togetherness we will suffer, even more than now. And now is the time for us to join hands, energies and focus on the good in the world! The bad is visible everywhere, it's at the front of the newspapers, it's the first thing in the news, it's exposed to you, but bad energy keeps you in a bad zone, it keeps your energy low, keeps your light dim. So, look at good things, brighten up your light, shine bright out there and do your work, come out and be you, ok? And don't forget to eat natural. Love you all, Skarra Mucci nah stop love unu!
