Jah Cure 'inspired' by Haitian president

Rastafarian reggae superstar Jah Cure, during a recent visit to Haiti to perform at a concert, was impressed by the steely confidence of the Haitian president, Michel Martelly, and moreso, Martelly's ability to reinvent himself from a singer to a politician.

"It was great to meet a musical president," Jah Cure told The Gleaner. "When I met him at first I was surprised, he was young, fresh, powerful, full of swag. I was looking for an older man, but I really loved his energy and his story is so truly inspiring."

A real chameleon

The Haitian president, Michel 'Sweet Micky' Martelly, is a real chameleon in the sense that his career reinvention has nothing to do with concerts, music videos or new images. He was once known as the 'President of Kompa' or Haitian carnival music - Martelly was known for his "ribald lyrics and outrageous performances." He had never run for public office before, but now he is the leader of a country racked by many problems and defined by its crippling poverty.

"He was a singer who just randomly ran for president and won, I admire that because it shows that from music, you can do and accomplish anything ... he actually told me that he was going to try to come to my concert and if so, he would take the mic and do a thing," Jah Cure said, laughing. "Yu just have to respect this man."

In the meantime, Jah Cure is progressing well with his own music career. He released his latest single, That Girl, to rave reviews on the social networks, and the song is now on iTunes and other downloadable sites.