Like the Italian/American mobster Don Vito Corleone who controlled an empire in the 1940s, Donovan 'Don Corleone' Bennett seems to be living up to the name in the world of music.
By Germaine SmithCorleone seems to be one of the most celebrated local producers now with less than five years in the production business. He galloped to dancehall success on some of our speedier rhythms last year, among them, 'Good To Go', 'Pon Di River', 'Mad Ants' and 'Mad Guitar' along with several tracks for Vybz Kartel and Sizzla's recent albums.
However 'The Don' has made a roundabout turn from dancehall to a slower, 'one drop rhythm', taking his career to a new level. His recent release, the infectious 'Drop Leaf' rhythm, has seduced the nation with its tracks.
The rhythm features Jah Cure with Longing For and other tracks from Reggae artiste Gentleman, Maxi Priest, Luciano, Sizzla and an entire clique of other accomplished conscious artistes.
Another dimension
Making such a switch would seem to have been difficult but for the unassuming producer, it's just another dimension to his skills. He is even planning to continue doing both music forms.
"It makes me feel good knowing that people can see that I am not a one-sided producer," Corleone told THE WEEKEND STAR in an interview recently. "We can do hardcore dancehall stuff, and we can move into the slower reggae and still do good."
"Some people say that 'he can only do good dancehall stuff' so we just show that we have another side to us."
By this move, Corleone joins a list of producers including Bobby Digital who have punched their class in the dancehalls before dabbling into Roots Rock Reggae.
Don's 'Drop Leaf' rhythm was born, he says, at a time when he had just re-introduced the instrument of choice to his life.
"I was just taking back up the guitar and was in the studio with some friends and I just came up with the melody. When we heard it we just decided that we were going to use it for a project...when we heard it, we knew it was going to be a good rhythm, but we never knew it would take off like that."
Like most of Jamaica, his favourite tracks are those done by Jah Cure, Gentleman, and Morgan Heritage.
Some people would say that Bennett should now be satisfied with victory in dancehall and roots reggae. In his view however, he is just getting started.
"I feel like I have more to do. The music can't stop there. When I was doing this rhythm I was not thinking about it taking off like this, I always wanted to do it but the time just came. I am just doing what I love."
