Reggae artiste Tishawn, who recently signed to the London-based Pstreet Records, is seeking to preach the gospel through his music.

According to the dreadlocked singer, he does not have to be a gospel artiste to preach love.

"I was brought up in the church and was a member of the choir. I have no desire to switch my faith and religious belief to suit my reggae career," said Tishawn.

Some Rastafarians might see Tishawn's position on religion as being misguided, because the artiste sports locks, yet believes in Jesus Christ.

However, the artiste stands resolute about his religion and his music.

The artiste says that his religious grounding impacts the type of music he produces.

"I choose to sing about life and the world around me, keeping it positive is foremost. My first official recorded song on Pstreet label is entitled Carry On and the video was number one on Jamaica's Hype TV cable channel, and held a spot for two weeks. That song basically motivates people to hold on despite trials, and that is the type of message that I want to deliver," the 22-year-old said.

WELL-RECEIVED SONG

The artiste also released a single called Stop the Killing, which denounced the murder of a five-year-old boy in Kingston in January.

"The song got some plays on the radio because of the strong and relevant message. I also voiced my concern about the situation via my Twitter account and, by the end of the week, the post trended across the network and became the week's top post. Even several local media picked it up and retweeted it," he said.

The reggae artiste believes international success is inevitable. According to him, his 'faith' will lead him on the intended musical path.

"As a firm believer in Jesus Christ, I am not worried about whether or not I will gain international status. I trust and have faith in God and, with time, my dreams will come true. Jesus never fails," he said.

Reggae artiste Luciano is often classified as a Christian Rastafarian by his critics, largely because of his type of reggae, an example being Lord, Give Me Strength. His music normally speaks of God in a manner which can be sung by both Christians and Rastafarians. Tishawn is sometimes compared to the veteran artiste because of his lyrical content.