Musicians

Chrisinti is Immortality

While curiosity might have killed the cat, the voice of he who was once called Paul Christopher Hudson is perpetuating life through music. The name Chrisinti is the combination of Chris as in Christopher and Hinti, a nickname that stuck to him as a youth due to his unmatched curiosity. But the days of roaming the Marverly and Drewsland streets are far over. Now the singer has much more pressing business to attend to.

For what could be considered a relatively young career, it seems like Chrisinti is in line with his goal of creating life through music. 1993 was the get go. That year he released his first track titled Aware of Drugs for Star Trail Records. That was just a drop in the bucket. When tragedy struck in 1995 he was forced to dig deeper into what was only a vague knowledge of Rastafari. He found himself mourning the death of his brother after violence snatched his life away. He fled to Mo’Bay where again music took precedence. He then linked up with a former producer. While much did not materialise from those sessions, it was a good outlet to release the tragedy. Within this time too, he was introduced to Nyabingi by Jah Cure. By 1997 when he resettled in Kingston, things began to kick off big time. While in a recording session for producer Zander P, the King of Kings famed Iley Dread overheard the talent and decided to give Chrisinti a place on his label.

Life has moved along way from the turmoil that once surrounded his youth. From Marverly All Age School to Pembrooke Hall Comprehensive, which ended abruptly in grade 10 due to delinquency to roughing it between St. Catherine and Jungle with his father, to living in Drewsland, there might certainly be a lot to tell. Later it was another hard knock. Out of school and forced to find a trade for his own sustenance, he turned to many avenues. There was carpentry era with is uncle. Then there was the electrician era and later painting, all in the name of making a living. He even found himself at a chicken factory, albeit for two months, it must have been terrible. After one final try with the odd jobs, it was music for good. And Chrisinti has never looked back.

The child born to Gloria Markland and Roy Hudson certainly means a lot to his family now more than ever. Still Chrisinti is part of an even larger family; the family of young and insightful reggae artistes. His unusual vocal stylings are perhaps incomparable for now but something tells us that he will have many imitators as the years go by. With only one album to date, the Comfort My People (pressed for VP Records) has taken him across numerous shores. Again in a relatively short time span, his music has seen him touring 47 states in America, and helped to earn him a solid following in London which will certainly spread after his upcoming tour in Europe.

Propaganda and African pessimism aside touring the continent has by far been the peak of his career. It was a rebirth, one that still calls to mind many amazing things. Things like, the grand 55 minute performance of one of our favourites, Long Live the King. It was in October of ’97 when Chrisinti was fresh on the scene. The place was Malawi and the occasion was one of three shows that the artiste was scheduled to perform there. Because he is not one to waste words and perhaps more importantly because he knows knows it needs to be said, “Africa will prove to be the seat of the best of things that nature and the world alike has to offer. Africa has the sweetest of fruits, the greenest of grass and the biggest of hotels. We don’t know what some guys are really insinuating.”

Western propaganda aside, Chrisinti’s word sound to black youth is to, “Know the art of the Nyabingi.” As his life and music continue on this endless one two beat, he knows that “Rightousness is immortality.” It’s “Long Live the King” as he would say and “long live Chrisinti,’’ as I would say.