Dancers' Paradise: John Bling ventures into recording

Popular for his skills on the dance floor, John Bling is taking a step in another direction.

He has entered the realm of the recording artiste. Fresh into the new year, John and the Black Dice Crew have hit the pavement with the newest song and dance called Swing It.

"Dancing is just like miming. But I have a voice and a lot of things I want to express. Mi just a try give people a whole complete package of entertainment," he told The WEEKEND STAR. "My music is 'alcohol-free', so everybody can consume it. My ultimatum is influencing social consciousness - my music have to uplift you, motivate you, and it aguh mek yuh dance."

John Bling said he actually started recording a long time ago, but this reputation in dancing came first.

"People accept me as a dancer now, so I have one foot through the door. So all I need to do is bring the voice," he said.

ACCEPTED OVERSEAS

He said that Swing It is currently in rotation on popular radio stations in New York and Miami, but he's really looking for some love from home.

"I think I'm accepted overseas more than in Jamaica. Mi nah get dah rotation deh inna Jamaica that's why me ah try suh hard fi get the breakthrough here," he said. "We don't look at it as making money in Jamaica, it's more about promoting yourself. When you get a breakthrough from Jamaica, the root, yuh ting more established than when yuh get an international breakthrough."

John Bling's strategy is to release and produce more dancing songs, so fans can get accustomed to his individual tone.

"I'm using dancing songs to get people more familiar with my voice, then I can transition into other songs and other topics," he said.

As for other aspects of his presentation, the dancer-turned-artiste revels in the things that make him unique.

"Mi short - about 5'4". Suh me and nuhbody a guh deh pon the same height. I think I'm one of the shortest persons in dancehall. So everything about me unique and different," John Bling said.

He said he hoped the uniqueness of his musical content will also separate him from the competition.

Recording is just another new project for John Bling. After being cast as a feature dancer in the films Dance for Grace, King of the Dancehall and Willpower, the all-rounder is working on another film production in which he gets to play a character.