With four successfully released studio
albums and outstanding performances
on major European festivals and venues
Ziggi Recado proves once and for all
that he is amongst the top reggae acts.
We caught up with Ziggi in
Amsterdam and talked about his
Caribbean home, Statia. We went back to
times when he recorded his latest album
“Therapeutic” and spoke about his plans
for 2015.
Lately you spent a
lot of time in St.
Eustatius, the place
where you grew up.
Tell us a bit about
this island. What is
your favorite place
to hang out? Best
beach? Why do you
like to go
back there?
Statia is one of the smallest
islands in the Caribbean
with a population of about
3500. It’s generally a very
laid back, easy going place.
I have some close friends
there from the time I grew
up and we hang out at different spots. I think hanging
out is more about the company than the location. Best
beach is probably the one
generally used for swimming.
There’s one beach on the
island where the population
actually swims. The beach
has black volcanic sand,
very different than white
beaches you might be used
to seeing on pictures.
Having lived there it’s always sweet to go back.
To connect with people
I might not have seen in
many years and to see
where the island is at now
in terms of development…
In May 2014 you released an album
“Therapeutic”,
is
this
album
completely a result of
your stay on the
island? How did island life influence
your
creativity?
One of the main purposes of my trip there was to
record this album. I went
there prepared to do that,
and with no other obligations on the island my life
was about that album for
those months. It was a
completely different way to
work in the sense that for
the first time I would wake
up every day and the only
thing on my agenda would
be to make music. So I
started creating every day.
Got into a great flow and
was able to
record the bulk of the album within the first two
months. It’s obviously a
different vibe sitting in the
yard, in the sun, vibesing
with some brethren about
a track as opposed to being locked in a studio in
Amsterdam.
Personally
though I think the biggest
thing was having that time
to devote entirely to music.
In Europe where I live I’d
have my regular life going
on, shows, two kids etc. So
I have to plan when I can
actually make time to work.
When I was in Statia I was
ONLY doing that.
Walk us through
your day on the island. Where did you
record music? Who
are the people you
worked with?
I’d get up late morning.
Have breakfast. Head to a
friend of mine’s spot ’Bigs’.
I created most stuff at his
place. We’d vibe there from
midafternoon till
(continue)