Since Mario Jagwa De Champ Winter emerged on the music scene as a performer in 2015, he has been satisfying his main goal – creating music that will make people “get up and get on bad”. Even now, years after the release of Face Down and Correction Time, any time either song is dropped in a fete it is sure to elicit massive crowd response.
Before launching his career as an artiste, the former student of the Coleridge & Parry School had already established himself as being among the island’s most popular deejays. His love for both roles is evident but if he had to choose between singing and being a DJ, he admitted that his heart would lead him to choose the latter. This is because his ultimate satisfaction comes from watching his audience react to the tunes he selects.
“I just like the feeling of being in the control tower and flipping through the different genres, commanding the crowd and watching people enjoy themselves,” he told Bajan Vibes.
Jagwa’s first stint on the “wheels of steel” came when he was only 14 years old. He recalls: “I was nervous, but it went well.” Despite not being able to remember the exact location of the event, the one thing forever etched in his mind was the feeling of contentment that he experienced.
“None of the big deejays at the time turned up, and I had to play from start to finish,” he reminisced, while proudly adding, “Nobody left!” From that point on he was determined to learn everything he needed to learn to excel in this field, and he did on his own.
While many were going stark crazy cooped-up at home due to the clamp-down on social activities, Jagwa enjoyed the change in pace from his usually hectic routine.
“During COVID-19 I got some well-deserved rest. I also used the time to learn the keyboard a bit better. I was basically just trying to keep the creativity flowing until we get back on the outside to let me shell down somebody place!”
The entertainer is always making wise use of his time and currently has some projects in the works.
“Within the next six months, I plan to release four or five new projects and hopefully, my first very own riddim.”
Within the past few days, he released Pump it or Dump It on the Friendly Ghost Riddim. “The response has been great so far. It’s like the people were waiting on it.”
Though having completed a course of study in Electrical Installation at the then Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic, like a magnet, Jawga was drawn to the entertainment field. The talented performer is highly requested on the cruise circuit and doing back-to-back sailings is a norm.
The entertainer’s local gigs are punctuated with regular trips overseas. He has continued to wave the Barbadian flag high with performances in New York, St Vincent, Guyana, Grenada and Trinidad. In one of his recent shows, he teamed up with Lil Rick for a sold-out event in London.
Even with five years of experience under his belt, the entertainer still experiences hints of nervousness before a performance. “I get butterflies in my stomach just before I hit the stage. It has always been that way from day one until now,” he said.
Satisfied with the trajectory that his music is on, Jagwa takes special pleasure in surpassing his own expectations. “My music gradually evolved into what it is today and still is constantly evolving each and every day. When I first started, I never thought I would be able to pull off a hit groovy soca, and I did with Drinka.”
Although the singer has become a household name because of his bashment soca offerings, he is quick to note that he dabbles in other genres, including reggae.
Jagwa’s love for varying genres is reflected through the music that he listens to. “If you look at my playlist right now, you would find Alicia Keys, Maxwell, Maxi Priest, Sluggy Ranks, Earth Wind and Fire and the list goes on …. I tend to switch my playlist very regularly.”
One of the roles that the full-time entertainer has embraced along the journey is that of brand ambassador. For the past two years, Jagwa has been hosting a radio show sponsored by Johnny Walker. Within the past year, he joined forces with telecommunications company Digicel to host a radio show for them as well.
However, away from the limelight, Jagwa De Champ is an easy-going guy and in his downtime, you can find him hanging with his close friends and enjoying roasting breadfruit. In his moments of solitude, reading or enjoying a TV series are his activities of choice.
Admittedly, the entertainment industry is not an easy one to crack into and the artiste provided some guidance for those who aspire to make their mark.
“My nugget of wisdom to the next musical generation would be don’t ever get downhearted if things seem stagnant. Just keep pushing and don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask questions [from people] who have been in the business before you. Most importantly, remain humble, don’t get swell-headed,” the artiste said. (STT)
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