Violin magic meets dancehall legend - Demola set to rock ‘Freedom Street’ with Vybz Kartel

Global multi-genre violinist and Afro-pop fusion artiste Demola is ecstatic about sharing the Freedom Street stage with Vybz Kartel, after he was confirmed as one of the first acts booked for the New Year's Eve event.

Demola, whose full name is Demola Babafemi, is more popularly known for his smooth, captivating rendition of songs from all genres. He shared that two weeks ago, he was on a live interview with Isat Buchanan when Vybz Kartel joined in.

"I was shocked, I was like 'Wait, what?" Demola laughed as he reminisced. "Then Vybz Kartel congratulated me and [award-winning violinist] Mapy, and then he was like, 'I'm inviting you guys to my show', and I was like, 'Oh wow! - that was wild' because I wasn't expecting this. Then he [asked], 'Have you accepted my invitation?' and I [said], 'Yes, I will, I'm coming; every other thing I'm cancelling, and I'm on my way down to Jamaica,'" Demola told THE WEEKEND STAR.

"I'm excited about it. I'm gonna be in Jamaica, and I'm gonna have a good time because I'm gonna hit the stage with the legend, and I'm appreciative of the opportunity to perform with him. This is my first major concert in Jamaica on a big stage, [which is] an awesome opportunity," he added.

A loyal fan of Vybz Kartel for years, Demola even listens to the deejay's tracks when penning his own lyrics. He said it will be a walk in the park for him to make his mark in blending his unique style into a dancehall medley.

"I've been doing this forever. I grew up on reggae/dancehall and Jamaican music, so for me, it's part of my DNA already," he said. Some of his most viral hits are Chaka Demus and Pliers' Murder She Wrote, as well as several hits from artistes like Bob Marley, Buju Banton, Popcaan and Shabba Ranks. He expects a diverse crowd to attend Freedom Street and emphasised the global impact Vybz Kartel's music - and reggae and dancehall generally - have been making on the world.

"Everyone who loves dancehall music knows of Vybz Kartel ... he's a Jamaican icon whose music knows no bounds. Jamaican music is like a good virus that spreads around, and you can't stop it [because] when it hits, you feels so good. It just makes you wanna dance, and that's what Kartel's music represents," he said. Demola, who also plays guitar, highlighted that this passion for playing the violin dawned on him while growing up in Church and is a passion which changed his life. Though he is still fighting to break more barriers in the music space by having more of his "black brothers" sharing an interest in this area, he's happy about the impact his music and sounds have made globally. He has been serenading his fans for the past 17 years, "living [his] dreams [and] fulfilling his passion".

He said Freedom Street supporters will be in for a treat, as he promised a performance filled with "vibes, a flamboyant groove and a night of good stuff that hits the soul and gets you to dance". He said he hoped to remind the attendees and music supporters that "music is a universal language and a way of showing that dancehall music can appeal to people who are not even dancehall fans".

As the musical creative continues on his journey, he is promoting his recently released album, titled One in a Million.