The story man
Local artist Haji Mike releases his third album – a collection of reggae songs about the world around him
At the beginning of last month, Haji Mike released his third solo album, The Storyman.
It stands as his biggest and most successful work so far, and within a few weeks of its release, the album got into the i-Tunes reggae chart alongside big names of the international music scene including Shaggy and Shaun Paul.
Haji Mike first became known on the island with the release of his first album in 1994, Haji Mike on the Mike. The seven hits on the CD, which included ‘Vragaman’ and ‘Stavroulla’, were continuously played at clubs and venues as the hip-hop work stood as something very different at the time. Twelve years on, his style has changed a great deal as Haji Mike has developed and evolved as an artist. Great care was taken in the production of his new album, and it is, on the whole, far more reggae oriented than previous releases.
Work began on The Storyman three years ago, as recordings took place in Nicosia, London, Athens, and San Francisco with production by Stand Out Selector and Tony Matthew. Guest appearances on the CD include Greek hip-hop band the Imiskoumbria, Mike Cherry, Mike D, Greekie Lion, CES-ONE, Cutmaster and Zeki Ali.
Haji Mike explains that the title of his album, The Storyman, was his son’s idea who was six years old at the time. “This is a reflection in a micro-cosmic way of what the album is all about – just telling everyday stories,” he said. “Sometimes we close our ears and eyes to things, we live in a society where people are often intolerant to new ideas and choose to withdraw themselves from reality,” he added.
His songs narrate stories about real life with lyrics about money, war, violence, love and even Greek weddings. He speaks the truth about the world we live in, with talent and his trademark touch of humour. He explains that ‘Greek Wedding’ is a very autobiographical song and explains, “I have reflected on things in Cyprus that made me very annoyed from personal experience, and I wanted to express that anger in a satirical way”.
‘Friday Night@The Dog and Duck’ is a gritty song that makes a plea against the violence associated with the pub culture in the UK. “I grew up in a part of London where violence was an everyday phenomenon. Walking outside the pub on a Friday night remains a very powerful memory that I wanted to share with people… to send out the message that we should not turn a blind eye to violence,” Haji Mike said.
‘Bling, Bling, Bling’ recorded with the Imiskoumbria, explores the ‘bling culture’ of modern music and the quest for fame and fortune with shrewd lines, while ‘Plastic People’ is an edgy and dark tune attacking governments, celebrities, false hopes and modern plastic lives.
The release of The Storyman marks an important contribution to alternative music – Haji Mike makes it clear that he is not motivated by the idea of the ‘bling bling’ lifestyle, or the idea of becoming famous. “As an independent artist, things are definitely not always easy, but on the other hand I find it very liberating to do my own thing,” he explained. “One of my main ambitions is to put Cyprus on the musical map”.
He goes on to explain, “It’s difficult for anyone to permeate the local music scene, as there is serious lack of state and media support for local artists. This is unfair and tragic for all Cypriots trying to get their work recognised”. He stressed his disappointment at the fact that at the recent Cyprus Music Awards, which took place on June 20, not one Cypriot-based artist was nominated or invited to appear at the event. “The Cypriots who appeared are all based in Greece, but what does that say about our island’s music? If we are supposed to operate as an independent country, why don’t we have our own music industry and respect for local artists?
“I really believe in the musicians of Cyprus, but the authorities never turn around to recognise their talent, there is unfortunately a huge lack of cultural policy when it comes to these issues”.
If you wish to catch Haji Mike and his stories of the world around us in a live performance, then you can head down to Paradise Place in Pomos on July 8. The show will mark the start of several other concerts in Cyprus throughout the summer, as the artist is likely to go on to perform in Greece, London and the USA.
