Exclusive interview with World Music Views
Sixteen years is an eternity in today’s music industry, where artists are expected to release new material at a relentless pace. Yet for Jamaican reggae icon Capleton, the long silence was preparation for a comeback that lines up perfectly with his Canadian return.
His last set was 2010s I-Ternal Fire released via VP Records. That album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart July 24, 2010 and stayed on the chart for two weeks. Now, releasing his first studio album in more than a decade and a half, the self-styled Fireman, born Clifton George Bailey III, speaks with the conviction of an artist who believes timing matters more than frequency.
“It’s 16 years,” Capleton told World Music Views with a sound of relief. “It’s a long hiatus. The people are definitely waiting, anticipating. The admiration is great right across the globe. People can’t wait.”
Active in music since 1985, Capleton released his debut studio album, Lotion Man, in 1991. Few artists of his generation have matched his longevity or productivity, with 24 studio albums spanning more than three decades.
“People say, ‘Why did it take so long to put out the album?’ But we want to make the necessary sacrifice and face the necessary challenges. We have to do something to secure the culture, secure the genre, secure the music and secure the people.”
The result, he argues, is not merely another reggae record but a body of work designed to endure.
“This album is an album of strength. It’s an album of confidence. It’s a timeless album,” he says.
The project addresses issues ranging from social injustice to global uncertainty, reflecting reggae’s historic role as both protest music and spiritual guide.
“We address every issue, from social issues to world affairs. It goes on and on,” he says.
The release arrives at a pivotal moment for reggae. The genre now competes for attention in a global marketplace dominated by Afrobeats, hip hop and Latin music, forcing artists to navigate the balance between tradition and commercial evolution.
Capleton embraces that challenge without abandoning reggae’s foundations.
“It has a little hip hop colour,” he explains. “We have a little Afro influence because I want to appeal to the younger generation.”
But adaptation, he insists, should never come at the expense of authenticity.
“We still don’t lose the soul. We still don’t lose the spirit. We still don’t lose the authenticity of the culture and of the music.”
That balance was made possible through long-standing creative partnerships. Capleton credits veteran producer Big Finga, whose relationship with the artist spans decades, for introducing him to Swiss label Evidence Music.
“He made the link with Evidence Music. They brought the beats to me. I listened and I loved them. They wanted to do some work, so we just made it happen.”
Evidence Music previously worked with Shaggy and Konshens, but for this collaboration with Capleton, the objective extends far beyond commercial success.
“We value the music and we know the importance of the music and what the music does worldwide,” Capleton says.”Even on a galactic level. We want this album to be a global anthem.”
The first major performances of the new material will come at Soul Food Festival in Canada, where audiences will hear songs that the artist hopes carry a broader social purpose.
Without hesitation, Capleton breaks into one of the album’s new tracks.
“I need light, so bright in my life. Open my eyes so I can see the world… Wake them up, outta them bed again.”
The lyrics, he says, encapsulate the record’s central message.
“This album is all about awakening. People are sleeping. They need to wake up right now.”
His call, however, is not for confrontation but transformation.
“It cannot be a physical revolution. It has to be a revolution of the mind. We have to change the way we think and the way we perceive life,” he says.
Since its emergence in Jamaica in the late 1960s, reggae has served as both cultural commentary and spiritual refuge. Capleton believes that role remains as vital as ever.
“Only the music can do it. It speaks for the less fortunate. The music is the voice of the people.”
He pauses before expanding on the idea.
“When people are oppressed and suppressed by the system, only the music can really heal them. It gives them that soul connection. It gives them hope.”
With two career Hot 100 hits, Tour and Wings Of The Morning, his ambitions for the new album are measured less by chart positions than by emotional impact.
“Wherever this spirit is, this album will bring hope. Wherever sadness is, it will bring happiness. Wherever sorrow is, it will bring joy,” he says
