Day 16: Friday, February 5, 2010

Beres Hammond’s private studio

Artiste: Beres Hammond

Stepping into Beres' private studio was like entering an underground vault of music-just-waiting-to-be-made. The room had personality: His. It was smooth, classy & professional.

One thing we learnt very quickly about Beres is that he is just as entertaining when not behind the mic. Before the end of the session, he had given us all nicknames. Raymond was 'Azi', Andrew was 'Harmony Face,' and yours truly was 'Empo'. Pacing around the booth with a glass of brandy in hand, he studied the lyric sheet and kept us all in stitches with his hilarious (incorrect) ad-libs. But once he had learned the words, it was all over.

With his distinctive raspy voice, the booth became a giant stage. He sounded like the godfather of soulful melodies, hauntingly crying 'Listen...'

After listening to his takes, he shook Raymond's hand and congratulated Handel for assembling so many of Jamaica's great artistes on one project. Handel also thanked Beres for his contribution, knowing that with his rendition caught, the final mix could now begin. It was one of those sessions that ended close to 4 am, but the production team was still high on positive energy and a sense of accomplishment.

We got Beres!