For nearly a decade, Nevis Mighty Alexander has been creating hits in the Dennery Segment genre. Considered a music hybrid, the music combines indigenous rhythms with influences of African and Soca beats, laced with lyrics in English and Kwéyòl. While the music has become synonymous with Lucian Carnival, Alexander has not been confined to just one season for his music. His vast repertoire offers songs that have become anthems not only at Carnival but for Jounen Kwéyòl, Solo, and Christmas.
Alexander’s immensely popular hits include songs like Bad in Bum, Bum, Two Clap, featuring Subance, Bagay, 2 Ah and more recently Keh Dek Keh Dek and Nuh Nuh.
St. Lucia Times caught up with the artiste who is now based in the UK, during a promotional tour in Miami with the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority to promote Lucian Carnival. Mighty gave his thoughts on his music, Dennery Segment and the use of the Kweyol language among other things.
“To me, Dennery Segment is all about Saint Lucia in terms of the culture, how we communicate in this paradise and how we express ourselves as Saint Lucians through music,” he responded.
About his start, he disclosed that he found himself writing songs from the age of 12.
“I used to write a lot but then in my teenage years I used to listen to other artists who gave me that inspiration, artists like Yardie, Exodus, LT from the Dennery basin and many others as well. They gave me that inspiration to literally hit the mic and start getting the music out there and you know, this is where it has brought me so far.”
He went on to acknowledge Subance, another Dennery Segment artiste with whom he recorded and performed numerous hits as a duo before going solo. Mighty also recognised Jaheim for recording his very first song.
“My first recording was with Studio 911, powered by Jaheim, it was called Tout Cet Fanm La Matay La. That was my first song written and composed by me, and Jaheim.”
However, the first song which put him on the map was Bad in Bum, Bum, the Dennery Segment track recorded with Subance in 2017 that went viral the following year.
“That song allowed us to represent Saint Lucia and Dennery Segment on a global scale. We got a lot of traction with that one, we got the music out there and a lot of people got to know what Dennery Segment was,” Mighty says.
While songs like Bad in Bum, Bum have secured him spots at carnivals throughout the region and internationally, Mighty feels that it is important to produce music throughout the year and not just for carnivals.
“I am a musician. I am an artist and this is what I do, you know. I reflect, whatever I have learned, I like to put it out there. I like to make people happy and to know that yes it’s Dennery Segment but we have Jounen Kwéyòl, this is a solo thing. That’s what I grew up listening to as a young boy and I have to replicate that because this is where I’m from, Saint Lucia, so I make it my duty every October for example, to release music for Jounen Kwéyòl that Saint Lucians can enjoy.”
He went on to express the importance of injecting the Kwéyòl language in his music saying: “This is our language and it is very authentic in the Caribbean and across the world.
“What I do not want to do is leave it behind. That’s something that I carry with me, hoping that one day someone would look up to me and just carry that same thing because this is what we do as musicians, carry out whatever we’ve learned from our ancestors.”
To Mighty, Dennery Segment is an energised music with deep roots in Saint Lucia which he feels compelled to transmit to his audience wherever he performs. “Through this music we express ourselves, in English and Kwéyòl. Don’t talk about the beat, the beat is really infectious,” he says.
“What’s next for Mighty?” we asked before wrapping up the interview.
“More vibes, more collaboration and you know just trying to get the music out there. Recently I got a video from someone with Cardi B literally vibing to my song Keh Dek Keh Dek and that felt great and made me feel like, you know what, we’re doing something good. So this is something that we have to appreciate. So what’s next for me, too, is to try to get on board the international market so I can do some collaborations and keep Dennery Segment going.”
