Centimental making a mark with his ‘calm’ sound

Representing the "calmer" side of dancehall, St Elizabeth native, Kingston-based artiste Centimental said he believes his "raw talent" is enough to make him stand out and expose his career to the world.

The singjay told THE STAR that though every artiste is aiming to "reach global stardom or be different", he knows he has the formula to achieve this.

"Mi talent is definitely [a standout], suh mi naah stop use mi talent. Not because people only a accept certain type a music now, dat nuh mean to seh wi a go stop put di raw talent in deh. Wi still a go put in the creative work inna di music, suh I think dat a go stand out addi end a di day, because yuh affi just persistent inna everything weh yuh a duh. Once yuh persistent and keep at it, mi think yuh talent a go definitely talk fi itself over a period of time," shared Centimental, whose given name is Shamarie Fiddler.

The artiste said his stage moniker, which was coined from the term 'sentimental', represents his personality and sound, which is "calm and nice...and romantic".

"Suh mi like di name, [because] it just fit me from then; but most people just call mi Centi," he said. Hailing from St Elizabeth, which many persons abbreviate as 'Senty', he said the name also holds a double meaning, as supporters who learnt of his origin believed he was named after the parish.

He added that though his name might first bring to mind a "soulful singer", he can still be as hardcore as dancehall is, or as smooth for the ladies.

"[I'm more of] a commercial sound, which matches my image - smooth and calm. Mi do more calm and smooth music, things weh people can relate to, and this year mi a try fi release more songs fi di ladies dem, definitely," he shared, while naming Vybz Kartel, Buju Banton and international rapper Drake as his musical influences.

Honing his talent as a professional artiste in 2015, Centimental said relocating to Kingston provided him with better opportunities to transition from a sound system selector to an artiste.

"Mi did always a write music, but when mi move to Kingston, the deejaying kinda stop and the music tek right ova. This definitely provides greater opportunities, because yuh know when yuh deh country, there's not a lot of opportunity, suh Kingston kinda give yuh a wider range and variety a things to do," the Topman singer expressed.

With his debut breakthrough single, Money Me Waa, putting him on the map and motivating him to pursue music, while creating for him a larger "steady" fan base, Centimental said he was motivated to produce more hits, which saw him becoming his own producer under his new label, Centiz Music Group.

However, despite those accomplishments, the journey came with several challenges as he navigates his new life in Kingston - a nine-to-five and a full-on career in music as an aspiring talent.

"The most issues I faced is with promotion and people accepting real talent, because mi feel like nowadays yuh nuh affi have real talent fi get exposure. Sometimes yuh see some artistes put out some songs and it jus guh viral, and yuh a wonda how your song weh write and produce so perfectly just nuh get nuh review, or nutten like dat. But mi think addi negativity weh people like nowadays and dat kinda get to mi. But mi cyaah mek it stop mi from doing what I'm doing, because mi know people out there weh appreciate real talent, too," Centimental opined.

Even though he tries to mix his flow, tap into topical issues and try to deliver what he thinks the people want to hear, he believes it's best to just "be you in the music and people will accept and receive you".

Centimental said though he holds a diploma in automotive engineering, that dream is now "dead" as he plans to focus all his energy on music. One of the biggest musical aspirations for the singer is to travel the world, meet new people, and expose his talent globally. Centimental graced the Reggae Sumfest stage in 2022, and shared that it has whet his appetite and added extra drive to pursue his musical dreams.

Centimental is set to release his debut project, the 16-track Sentyside Mixtape on Friday. It will feature a blend of music, from "conscious songs, songs fi di ladies and the streets", along with collaborations from several artistes, such as Chronic Law.