Jamaican musician started honing his talents early, as his entire family was musically inclined. “I did music from 6-years-old,” says the talented
singer-songwriter. “My dad was one of those Joe Jackson-types, so I had to play
the piano and my brother played the violin. It was a beautiful thing, though it
maybe didn’t seem so beautiful to me at the time because it was forced. But there
were times of real enjoyment — we were a musical family.”
As a teen, David joined
the orchestra. He later had to put his musical career on hold, first to enroll in law
school, and then — after his father’s passing — to take over the family business. “Music
was put on the backburner for the [sake] of the family business,” says David. “That
occupied a lot of my time.”
However, through it all, David M. continued to write music and
play the piano occasionally. He decided to return to his first love and moved to New
York to try to pursue his craft professionally. After a
while, he returned to Jamaica
and, fortuitously, met legendary Jamaican producer Augustus “Gussie” Clark. Clark
let David write for some of the artists he worked with, including Gregory
Isaaks, Freddy McGregor and Shabba Ranks. It was while under Clark’s
tutelage that David wrote “Lest We Forget,” a song that was inspired by Nelson
Mandela’s presidential election in the 1990s. That song would later change his
career and life. “Mandela’s inauguration was an exciting climax for all of us who
watched the struggle. It was an inspirational, soul-searching song,” David extols. The 2008 election of Barack Obama moved David M. to revisit
the song and it launched his career as a recording artist. “I never thought I’d see a black man as
president in the United States.
It’s a good song for everybody,” he continues.
The song became a hit on BETJ and other video
networks, but David’s greatest joy comes from the reception he’s received at
home. “Jamaica’s
a conscious place. People are crying out for [this] kind of song and artist — not
just ‘feel-good’ [music,]” he says. His forthcoming album showcases his
versatility, but retains an underlying spirit of positive affirmation
and hope. “I can express all of the music that has come to me in a way that I want
to. [I] don’t know if it’s a good thing, don’t know if it’s a bad thing, but it’s
my thing.”
