It’s Full Hundred time again SCORCHERS. In this Issue we feature Tunji Montana aka Olatunji Yearwood.

No stranger to the music, the 27 year old Soca star has been around the art form for basically his entire life. The son of, a well-known composer, Edward Yearwood, and Mairoon Ali, local actress, radio personality and teacher, Ola has always been around the arts.

We get the full hundred on his musical journey, his inspiration, dealing with the loss of his both parents and much more. Enjoy!

SCORCH: How long have you been involved in with music?
Ola: Since I was 14. So 13 years. I could have started earlier but my grandmother had reservations about me signing calypso. I spent the first 9 years of my life with her while my parents were focusing on their careers. So Granny was calling the shots!

SCORCH: How did that work, especially with both your parents being involved in the performing arts and music? What were her concerns?
Ola: Well she was a religious lady, and to her calypso was secular music. So she wasn’t having it. She made an exception when I was 9 though. She allowed me to enter my Primary School’s (Belmont Boys RC) Calypso Competition. Oh let me take this opportunity to big up my Primary School music teacher Mr. DeLeon and Mrs. Bankruph — who wrote the song I entered the competition with (Calypso in our Culture).

They came to my house, convinced granny that the song was an uplifting one and to let me enter the competition. That displayed my talent to everyone and they all saw my potential.

SCORCH: Was it at that point you decided music is what you wanted to do?
Ola: Ummm…Honestly, Football was my first love; I always wanted to be a footballer. I had a little talent but that wasn’t meant to be *laugh*. I kept at the music when I started secondary school (Trinity College) and continued to hone my craft. At 16 I entered the Sunshine Snack Junior Calypso Monarch and the NYAC Emancipation Competition, placed 2nd in both. The Junior Calypso Monarch that year was Patrice Roberts, so in hindsight I didn’t do too bad. *laughs*

I entered the Junior Calypso Monarch the following year and came 1st, I also won the “Top Stars” award from NYAC. Soon after that I decided Music was what I wanted to do and pursued it wholeheartedly. It’s a blessing because not many people can say they are living there dreams. So I must and always will give thanks for that.

In 2004, I applied to schools for the performing arts in the UK and was accepted to the West Thames College of Performing Arts.

SCORCH: Give us a little insight into your time in the UK and where things went from there.
Ola: Well it opened my eyes to the wider world. People tend to get caught up in their immediate surroundings. Going out there, I got a glimpse for myself of how much the world has to offer.

I studied everything in the performing arts, dance, music, opera, theatre, spoken word, etc. We also touched on the behind the scene aspects as well, like music production for example. I think it was a great foundation to start my career.

SCORCH: How did things evolved from there?
Ola: Well I came back at the end of 2006. Just before the Carnival Season of 2007. I got a call up from Traffic. That didn’t last too long though, probably 2-3 months…

SCORCH: Care to elaborate on why?
Ola: Well… people said a lot of things, but lets just put it this way; I didn’t fall into what they were trying to do and the vision they had for their band. So I got the boot!

SCORCH: Huh? Didn’t you have one of the more popular tunes that year…Get wild?
Ola: Yea, and that was a tough year for power soca. That was the same year with Machel-Jumbie, Blaxx-Dutty, Faye Ann-Move to name a few. That’s how it goes sometimes. Thankfully Roy Cape snapped me up one time.

SCORCH – Hmmm…So where from there? What made you decide to leave Roy Cape?
Ola: Well I had a successful season with Roy Cape that year(2007). They kept me on for 4 years running. That was my start really as being in the “front line” and gave me a platform to showcase my talent. It would be something I would always be grateful to them for.

Unfortunately in 2011 I was asked by the band to take some time off, it wasn’t really my decision. My father had recently past and having already lost my mother a few years earlier it was a really hard time for me personally. The band thought I wasn’t as focused on the music and I was asked to take a break. I had no choice but to go at it solo.

At first I was concerned about going solo. I heard all the stories of people who left big bands to pursue solo careers and flopped. But I just accepted my situation and turned it into a positive. I remember thinking to myself, “I have two angels guiding my path right now so I can’t fail.”

SCORCH – Give us some insight into your inspirations as an artiste.
Ola – Well I owe all my talents to my parents, so they on top the list. Especially my father. He really guided me and was the one to get me interested in singing calypso. To this day calypso I think is still my strong suit. (SCORCH – And given your recent success people will be more open to hearing that side off you.)
Ola – Correct! I also loved Sparrow’s music growing up. As I got older my love of music expanded to other genres. I like Barrington (Levy), Buju Banton, Biggy Smalls. When it comes to Soca artiste my favorites are Super Blue and Machel.

SCORCH – Did you expect “BamBam” to get as big as it did? It didn’t take off till Carnival Monday and Tuesday, but from Ash Wednesday come forward that has been THE big tune.
Ola – No I didn’t. I’m just extremely blessed and very grateful to be in the position I am in right now. “BamBam” is the end product of a lot of hard work though. It all started from last year with “Call meh” on the Maserati Riddim – big up Juelio. Fast forward to 2013 Carnival, I had “Wah Do” and I wrote “Leh go” for my big brother Blaxx both on the Future Riddim. Around the same time I linked up with StarBlu & Millbeatz to do something on the Soca Salsa Riddim, and the rest is history really.

Right now BamBam is still getting major airplay and I have gigs every weekend. *smiles* Oh I wanted to mention this as well, I think that tune is the most requested Scoa track for dubplates…ever! Over the last couple of months I did over 60 dub plates for BamBam. That must be some kind of record *laughs*

SCORCH – *laughing* Looking forward now. What’s the plans for the Summer and Carnival next year.
Ola – Honestly, I haven’t even began to think about next year Carnival yet. I have been so busy, but the music will come. With regards to Summer, I am looking to do a “follow-up” track to “BamBam.” Just last week Millz (MillBeatz) called me and said he had something for me to jump on. So look out for that.

After our chat we headed over to Super Pharm, handed Ola $100 and set him loose inside the store. He made it a point to spend every last sent. All his purchases were based around him having a show later on the night. So he got a bath brush, a Red Bull, ice cream (Häagen-Dazs mini), a bandage incase he injured himself on stage and A margarita glass. All the while Ola was laughing as he went through the store picking up his items. When there cashed his items he still had $25 change so he bought a phone card with the balance and said “the money have tuh done!, is the FULL Hundred not the Full 75!” Thanks to Super Pharm and Ola for making this possible look out for our next FULL Hundred in Issue 41. Peace!