Reggae | Cali P

Irie™ Magazine | Artist - Cali P

Irie Magazine presents Cali P
Reggae | Cali P 1

The Interview

IRIE. First, IRIE would like to congratulate you on your confirmation for Rebel Salute inna Jamaica! Much Respect!! Let’s start from the beginning. You were born, Pierre Nanon, in Switzerland to an European mother (Swiss) and a Rastafarian father from the island Guadeloupe (Gwada). 
What was your childhood like growing 
up as a youth of mix heritage?

Cali P: Blessed love IRIE Mag, give thanks. That is right. I grew up with a lot of diffrent vibes, temperatures, languages, food and of course, music. When I was born, I was living in Europe with my mom and my dad just came to Europe to make sure he gives me his teachings on the way. My mother was working daily on a post office while I was home with my dad, we listen music, play music and he was building drums to sell. Also he was always doing workshops for people to get interested in drumming and for who wants to learn he gave lessons. I always move with him. Where ever it would be. I was totally into  reggae music since my baby years and Bob Marley and Mr. Hinds the lead singer of Steel Pulse were my heroes. I use to imitate them with my dreadlocks and loved RASTAFARI because I could always identify myself with that. Is like I always felt in a comfort zone being amongst Rasta, wether in Europe or home in Guadeloupe. For my parents it was important that I know both of my origins, speak both languages and feel comfortable in both places.

IRIE. Your father, Jean Pierre, was a musician, in particular a percussionist. Did he encourage music to you at an early age or was it something that was instilled in you?

Cali P: Yes my father is still a musician today that’s right. Naturally I was just exposed to music and everything around it because the person that brought me up is all about Music and Culture. I think I just loved music in general and got connected to it riiight away. Music was my everyday activity. If I didn’t listen to music or watch a concert in the TV then I was playing music. You know like a child would play with cars or dollies, haha, my thing was playing to make music. Music was always the connection, playing booking agency with my sister, playing instruments sales man, playing superstar or dancer, you see music is always a part of it.

IRIE. You followed in your father’s footstep, learning to play the drums since the age of three. Do you still play?

Cali P: Yes I. It’s like walking, I could never forget. I live the sound of the drums. It calls me. If I am somewhere and hear drums if I stand beside you and all over sudden you don’t see me the. The drums called me, I can stand and watch people playing drums for hours. It fills my heart with joy and fire. Real energy.

When I play drum it puts me into a different vibe and meditation. Very pure and grounded. I think drumming has had a lot of influence in my life as far as Riddim feeling, beat , patterns and styles. And YESSS I still play drum.

IRIE. Being a skater and snowboarder (Lake Tahoe, CA & Whistler, B.C.), I find it very IRIE that you learned to ski at the age of 12 from your mother. On top of that, your music is well known throughout the extreme sports world. Do you ever take the time out of your music schedule to throw on some skis and hit the slopes?

Cali P: Hehe, yes you know skiing and me is a special relation. I learned it in only one day and it just worked well, while I was seeing people having a hard time learning to ski. I enjoyed it very much. I love the feeling of gliding through the snow without any engine. Still going fast, no noise, just free up. In that time I didn’t know anything about free ski and the whole extreme sport movement. The extreme sports came to me when I was like 18 already touring and making songs and shows etc. I went to a studio and recorded a Dubplate that happened to be for Tanner Hall and his C-Crew! I will never forget because that was the start of a new movement. And yes u til today people in the Extreme Sports love our music. I am happy for that. Living in Jamaica now doesn’t really give me the possibility to ski. In the near future I will go ski again.


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