Cyaan Tiad not easing up

Carl Mitchell, or 'Cyaan Tiad' as he is affectionately known, is a testament to the power of passion and the infectious joy of dance.

At 45, Mitchell stands as a full-time dancer, who accepted the calling to dance in his 30s and has since become an unstoppable force in Jamaica's dancehall and reggae scenes. His uniqueness and joy of being unapologetically himself recently caught the attention of Red Stripe, landing him an integral role in their 'Suh Wi Dweet' campaign - an initiative celebrating the everyday things that make Jamaicans unique.

Mitchell's journey began with casual street performances in his community of Cassia Park, St Andrew, on Sundays, where the pure creativity of his movement drew neighbours out of their homes.

"When I went out of the community, I got even more love and people began reaching out to me to dance at their events. The foreigners took to me and got joy every time they saw me," Mitchell recalled, before explaining how he got the moniker.

"I was in my community dancing and the selector just say, 'How da Rasta deh a dance like him cyaan tiad?' And so, the name just come, and everybody just start seh 'Cyaan Tiad' in the community. Nuf people seh di name ago work because it's a unique name."

Mitchell then danced across Jamaica, his moves like 'Compass', 'Calculate', and 'Nuh Badmind' gaining momentum. His creative use of props - from landline phones to calculators - turned performances into spectacles.

"When I'm at home, I sit in my house looking out and that's how I come up with the ideas. I just love what I do, and I put my mind to it," he explained.

Mitchell's charisma and innovation led him to share stages with reggae and Afrobeat titans like Lila Ike and Burna Boy. He also appeared alongside others in music videos, such as DJ Khaled's These Streets Know My Name with Skillibeng, Buju Banton, Capleton, Bounty Killer and Sizzla.

"It's a joy to stand up with the giants and work with them in a video. A whole heap a hard times mi go through but I just don't put it on my mind. I put dancing before it. It's amazing to know seh Cyaan Tiad reach out of those situations and can be somebody to look up to." Mitchell advised aspiring acts to persevere and stay focused.

"You have to just focus on what you're doing. From you're focused, you can do anything. Just push yourself and keep on at it." He doesn't plan to stop dancing any time soon.

"I can't believe it sometimes when I look and see how my fan base has grown. I love dancing to my heart, it's like it's in my bones. All when I'm relaxing, I'm still dancing. I don't plan to stop for now; I'm unstoppable."