Chi Ching Ching says expect more ‘gyal tunes’

Known for having fun with words, dancehall entertainer Chi Ching Ching has made a slew of music built off slangs. The latest, Thunder, is unlike most of his high-energy dancing tunes, praising the female body.

The track is further magnified by a music video with women of all shapes and sizes "rolling their bodies like thunder" to the tune of the track.

It is without doubt a dancing and 'gyal tune', the second one from the deejay for 2020, and maybe one of many to be released this year.

"Yeah, a lot more gyal tunes fi forward," Chi Ching Ching told THE STAR. "While performing on the local and international stages, I saw where Cause Trouble (which also celebrated women dancing) had a big impact, and it is track which still allows me to interact with my fans. Whenever I bring a female on stage fi dance, a trouble."

He said that having less gyal tunes in his catalogue has nothing to do with his creative songwriting process or having any specific preference. "I always love to invite some girls to the studio for motivation though," the lanky dancehall act laughed.

Thunder, which has garnered more than 600,000 views on YouTube in under a month, takes place in a farm setting, and features the character Maas Jasper.

"Everybody love dem man deh," said Chi Ching Ching. "Jasper a di realest community farmer and if yuh nuh have no food, yuh can link dem man deh and get a hand a banana."

A short Thunder social media challenge also unearthed talent he said, with more than 70 videos submitted and the winner walking away with $30,000.

"It was important for me to do this, especially at a time like now when the girls who usually benefit from the nightly events aren't able to anymore, due to the pandemic," he said.

He said that he performed the song last year while in Germany, one of the stops of his Turning Tables European Tour. The single was picked up by Low Low Records, one of the fastest reggae-dancehall production houses in Berlin.

He should have returned to Europe for another leg of the tour, as well as Latin America and Canada this year, but COVID-19 thwarted those.

"So right now, I am spending a lot of time reflecting and chilling with my family. I went to the farm, where I assisted and spent quality time with my father. This is what Thunder represents ... having fun while doing the most important thing right now, which I think is farming. And yeah, mi have some videos fi drop soon (so) the fans a guh love it."