On Monday, May 10, 2010, I had the unique opportunity to talk to the Italian reggae star, Alberto D’Ascola (a.k.a. Alborosie). Born 1977 in Marsala, Sicily and later moving with his family to the north of Italy, the talented artist and musician spoke to me from Jamaica, his current home, while I was in Ottawa, Canada. Though miles away, Alborosie’s openness and cordiality allowed me to gain a revealing picture of the successful young man, who rose to international popularity with two remarkable albums – Soul Pirate (2008) and Escape from Babylon (2009) – touching on everything from love to crime to politics.

As you will hear, I was concerned at the beginning of the interview for Alborosie’s well-being – it was delayed an hour due to an important issue related to the near fatal shooting of Oneil Edwards, member of well-known reggae group Voicemail, in Jamaica. Despite the unfortunate incident, Alborosie assured me he was fine. Confident and unfazed, he proceeded to lead me through an interesting world of personal stories and observations, illuminating too his philosophical side as regards to happiness or the challenge, rather, of ever attaining it. Among Alborosie’s many qualities is his ability to see and articulate views on life in a refreshing and honest way. As in his music, Alborosie conveys valuable truths and messages in this interview – testament to his potential of not only being a creator but a teacher as well:

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