Quan-Dujai follows heart into music

Quan-Dujai Henriques never imagined he would be stepping into the shoes of reggae legend Bob Marley, but the 23-year-old musician always knew one thing for sure--university wasn't his path. While many of his peers were chasing degrees, Henriques was chasing melodies, driven by a deep love for music.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Henriques briefly pursued a bachelor's degree in civil engineering at The University of the West Indies. However, after a few months, he realised it wasn't the right fit. "I thought maybe I could make it work, but my passion for music was stronger than my interest in school," he said. "When COVID hit, I took a break from university, and that's when I knew--music was what I needed to focus on."

The pandemic gave him the perfect opportunity to hone his guitar skills and explore song-writing. He also got the opportunity to spend more time in the studio, crafting his sound. Little did he know that this would land him the coveted role of young Bob Marley in Paramount's highly anticipated biopic Bob Marley: One Love.

"I never really tek di school work seriously. I've always been just looking out waiting on my turn," Henriques, a graduate of St George's College, told THE STAR during an interview recently at the Bob Marley Museum in St Andrew.

"I never finished [my degree because] COVID was right after [I started] university and I took a year, and then I was like, 'I'm not sure I'm going back'," he said.

Prior to copping the prestigious role of playing teenage and young Bob Marley, Henriques was "running di shop" for his mother while pursuing his music and spending his time-off in the studio where his cousin, Sean Paul, creates magic.

Henriques spotted a casting call on Instagram for the role of young Bob Marley. Encouraged by friends who felt he has a striking resemblance to the reggae legend, Henriques auditioned and felt an immediate connection. "From the moment I walked in, I could see it on their faces--this role was mine," he recalled with a smile.

Landing the part was a dream come true. "When I got the call, I made a bag of noise and grabbed my guitar to celebrate the only way I know--through music," Henriques said, describing the euphoric moment.

Growing up "all over Kingston"--from Papine to Barbican--Henriques was no stranger to the rich musical history of Jamaica. His mother even met his father near the Bob Marley Museum, a poetic twist of fate.

Music has been in Henriques' blood since his teenage years, but he didn't realise the full extent of his talent until later.

"Music has been like bells in my ears from ever since, and then getting this role. I never had any thoughts of doing music until I was in late teens. It's just one day I get up and I just start singing and I was, 'You know I have a nice little voice that can gyaan with a thing' and I just started feeling my blood boiled to go on the stage and dem stuff deh, and could never, but I'm always trying and I guess I got my opportunity later down after that," Henriques said.

Now fully immersed in the world of entertainment, Henriques is thriving in his new role.

"Since then, I've been manoeuvring through this new environment and this new situation. I get recognised everywhere I go and a lot of events, a lot of socialising, a lot of good stuff," Henriques said.

Literally, in a relaxed demeanour as Bob Marley, Henriques told THE STAR that he is happy he grew up in Jamaica, given that "Jamaica nice" and "is a lovely place and beautiful" when compared to other climates especially cold London Henriques experienced when acting for Bob Marley: One Love.

So far, Henriques has released two songs-- Brimstone and Follow Your Heart--and plans to continue pursuing both acting and music.

" Brimstone is, as the name suggests, social commentary -- burning a fire, you know wa I mean. As a creative, I felt I am attached to the struggle that we go through. I talk a bit about that [in the song]. I talk a bit about policies and what's not right and Follow Your Heart is a simple sweet love song. We want to hear more of that music and stuff, so we're doing that," Henriques told THE STAR.

With more auditions and an EP on the horizon, Henriques is ready to leave his mark on both the screen and the music industry.

"My music is going to be like an experience, yuh nuh. It's like a spiritual experience. It's going to be refreshing and you can expect nice compositions and it'd just going to be different from what's going on now," he said.

His advice for youth as him or younger who do not want to take the book work seriously, but music or creativity for example, is, follow your heart.