Chris Gayle: Winning a Grammy someday has been a dream
Besides his electric performance on field, cricketer Chris Gayle is also known for his uptempo music numbers. Having debuted as a musician in 2020 with a dancehall music video, We Come Out To Party, Gayle has now sent his 2022 album, Tropical House Cruises To Jamaica, for Grammy consideration. Ask why he felt the need to do that and he says, “It’s for the Jamaican culture. Music is life and every aspiring artiste should want a Grammy. That’s what encourages me. I feel my album is a strong contender with artistes who are Grammy winners like Lauryn Hill (American musician) and Morgan Heritage (Jamaican band).
The 43-year old admits that awards matter to him as they represent “that you are being acknowledged for the hard work you put in”. Talking about the Grammy Awards, he adds, “Winning a Grammy someday has been a dream since I entered the music business. In terms of music awards, it doesn’t get higher than the Grammys.”
Gayle’s connect with India goes beyond cricket. Having worked with Indian rapper Emiway Bantai on a single titled Jamaica To India, Gayle says, “India is special to me because of my cricketing memories, but the fact that my music is loved here and my song with Bantai got over 70 million views, I feel a deeper connect with the Indian culture. I also did a song with Arko (Pravo Mukherjee, musician) and really enjoyed it. India’s hip-hop scene is vibrant and growing.”
The cricketer-musician, who is excited about his new single, Hot Like Lava, is also shooting some ad commercials featuring Bollywood stars. While he has worked with Indian musicians and considers Bantai “my favourite Indian rapper”, he also hopes to work in a Bollywood film someday: “I have had a few discussions about Bollywood movies, but nothing is confirmed yet. I would love to act in one.”
Meanwhile, calling himself a “semi-retired” cricketer, Gayle says he’s “very passionate about the game and I have much to contribute to it in other areas”. But currently, he is enjoying his time making music: “I’ve set up a studio at home to produce my own music,” he ends.
