Elephant Man wants a ‘Dancing Christmas’

Upbeat and passionate about Christmas, 'Energy Gad' Elephant Man aims to lift the spirit of the nation with his track ' Dancing Christmas'.

"Mi waah get back di people dem moving and get dem back pon di dance floor and tek dem mind off certain things and outta dah stressful mood deh weh dem inna. Happiness cure any sickness or depression and di people dem did waah back dah happy moment deh inna di music weh dem can lean pon inna di Christmas," he told THE STAR.

"Wi ago just gi dem a dancing Christmas mek dem jus dance and enjoy demself and have fun with the music; and just fulljoy the season," he added. He said that despite the post-Hurricane Melissa trauma, he's confident in music renewing the Christmas spirit.

"Even if there was no hope, wi still affi try get people back in the mood and mek dem know seh we (artistes) deh yah fi dem and wi nuh give up, suh wi don't want dem give up," he said, noting that some communities are still without power.

"[But] mi know Jamaicans ago have dem place fi get dem phone and power banks charge up and dem still ago a listen out fi supm nice fi dem dance and still have fun. Only music alone shall live and inna dis time, di Christmas season, a nuh no time fi nobody sad and down, yuh spirit affi up," he opined. The artiste also credited Vybz Kartel for his recent Christmas single, and producer NotNice's recent Christmas-themed EP, for adding to the creative energy and spirit around the season.

Elephant Man also highlighted one of his best Christmas memories when he first performed his hit single, Badman Christmas at Sting.

"I was in a Santa Claus suit and mi a try come out fi go inna mi Sting suit and mi couldn't tek it off," he laughed. "Mi run out inna full costume - beard and everything, bag behind me and mi affi perform inna it. Suh for me it was about bringing out the image yes, but more so the vibes it give di people dem fi see a dancehall artiste wid one of the biggest carol right after Christmas," he said. "Dem time deh rocket launcher deh a Sting and just to see the fans dem going crazy in a Sting space, was when dancehall was dancehall." He said that most artistes used to look forward to transforming Christmas songs into dancehall classics. He said though the trend is dwindling, it's still active and shows artistes' versatility.

"There's still a place for it and as an artiste, yuh affi have a Christmas song," he said. The artiste said he celebrates Christmas in the traditional way annually, and hosts four parties - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

"Mi nuh waah no bread and butter this time, mi need fi see ham, chicken, oxtail, pudding, di rum punch and sorrel. Christmas is our Thanksgiving, mi tek Christmas serious and wi must not play wid di Christmas spirit. It's just a special holiday fi everybody," Elephant Man said.