Dynamq dedicates sound clash victory to dad and brother

The first African to win the Reggae Sumfest Global Sound Clash, Kennedy Ongele 'Dynamq' Lorya, said just being booked to play reggae music in Jamaica dictated that he was a winner.

The South Sudan singer, producer, writer and sound system operator, who refers to himself as the 'River Nile Crocodile', beat out Jamaican selectors Code Red (second), as well as Jah Works, Bass Odyssey and Echo One to the title. As seasoned as he is on the stage, with 10 years under his belt in the business, the sound system operator became so emotional when the crowd selected him over Code Red early Friday morning, that he cried openly.

"I was reminiscing on how I lost my father and brother and it's like I saw their vision," he said. "People use to tell me I would grow up to be nobody."

The $1.1 million prize didn't matter to the former refugee, neither did he think he had become a supreme being overnight.

"I am a student of the game," he acknowledged, noting that at no time was he overconfident of winning. "I wanted to make sure that I finished the job." And he was quick to point out that he doesn't take any of his competitors lightly.

"You know, I just thought I would go and look up the weakest spots and make sure to capitalise on that and pay attention to everything," he told THE STAR. According to him, playing solo means one has to constantly work, listen and pay attention to everything.

Still in a state of disbelief as he spoke to THE STAR, Dynamq revealed that he is booked to appear at the Uppsala Reggae Festival in Sweden later this week. Next month, he has shows in Florida, Guyana, Spain and Holland, plus a full calendar until October.

Dynamaq said he spent plenty of money preparing for the clash, coupled with sleepless nights. He stayed up every night, just so he could remix some dubplates because quality was critical.

For him the most important thing is for the audience, like the one that showed up at Pier One for the clash, to enjoy themselves; and they did. He said that even more important is being in Jamaica and soaking up the amazing culture. He said that his aim is to connect Jamaica to Africa beyond music.

"It is so incredible. The people from Sierra Leone sound Jamaican. There are so many things about Jamaica and Africa that are the same," he said.