Nobody a nuh di same - Tommy Lee Sparta sees the emotional strain of hurricane

Dancehall artiste Tommy Lee Sparta says Hurricane Melissa is like a "slow poison" damaging Jamaicans mentally and it was a no brainer for him to contribute to the healing process.

"A nuh joke thing a gwaan bredda, di country get a good hit. Not even leaf nuh survive. Right now mi can see every weh inna mi community, every leaf gone. Some people house and dem clothes blow weh one time; mi feel it to mi soul. Suh anything fi mek it possible and fi mek it work, mi deh yah man," hee told THE STAR.

While sharing his appreciation for life, he emphasised the psychological impact this devastation has left on the nation's people.

"Mi nuh inna some people shoes but from di storm [pass], everybody a act weird. Everybody emotional and sensitive yah now and kinda outta character. Nobody a nuh di same, yuh affi see wid people now because everybody a guh kinda harsh suh yuh affi see wid dat and prepare for it," he cautioned. "Everybody traumatise enuh and dem neeven realise."

Just last week, the artiste signed off on an initiative with the Mayor of Montego Bay, Richard Vernon, to help in rebuilding homes and communities in the city, which is his birthplace. Under this initiative, they are appealing to persons to donate food, solar items and other supplies to assist the affected. Once accumulated, along with Tommy Lee Sparta's personal contributions, they are set to give those donations to the most severely affected persons. With Vernon being on the ground and knowing the ins-and-out of the community, the deejay opined that this partnership will better aid him in identifying the hardest hit areas and most severely impacted individuals in St James.

"Mi like duh things through the system. When mi alone a duh things, mi nuh really like put it pon mi media but mi love when mi a do it the right way through the right channel. Sometimes yuh have to come together and duh di right thing. Suh mi a show di youth dem di right way how fi dweet - dweet through the system and mek di thing look good fi everybody," he said.

Tommy Lee Sparta, who gave an emotionally-charged performance at Sunday's I Love Jamaica Telethon and Virtual Concert, encouraged Jamaicans to remain positive while the recovery efforts continue.

"Jamaica yuh know seh wi tough and rough, suh nutten nuh really bother wi ... and wi ago come back better again. Suh all who feel seh dem lose, just keep unu spirit high and tell unuself seh unu rich and unu healthy," he said. In closing out the night's show, the deejay delivered some of the 'softer' tracks of his catalogue, including Blessings, Angel and Redemption Song which was widely received by the audience.

The telethon, which was held at the National Indoor Centre, was geared towards raising US$1 million in aid of supporting Hurricane Melissa victims.