Local Scene Conquered, PUMPA Takes Music To Global Stage

ST. CROIX — You know you’ve conquered the local music scene when you can convince a crowd of thousands, enjoying Christmas Boat Parade activities last December, to do the “butterfly”, a dance forged from a hit song that you’d only recently penned. But PUMPA is no ordinary local artist. The hitmaker started ten years ago with Xtaushun Band, and has grown into one of the most recognizable and respected Soca stars in the territory.

His hit single, Selfie, seemed to have propelled PUMPA to new heights, affecting the music scene way beyond local shores. “Last night, a received a message from a fan in France wanting to know how she could purchase Selfie,” PUMPA told The Consortium in a phone interview late Thursday. And fans, he said, have emerged from many other parts of the world.

Those events have led the music creator to expand beyond local limitations, an agenda that has long been part of PUMPA’s vision to promote the U.S. Virgin Islands with his craft, whether it be Soca, Reggae or other genres of music.

His latest music video exemplifies his strategy seamlessly, as the versatile artist changed things up with a reggae song titled Lucky, a departure from his natural sound of Soca. The video features prominent St. Croix model Janeisha John, and speaks of finding love that people only dream of, hence the title, Lucky. In the video — shot last year during Miami’s carnival — PUMPA sings joyously about his newfound love.

Artwork for PUMPA’s latest single, Lucky.

“I found a beautiful girl in a crazy world, like diamond and pearls, I’m so lucky, I’m so lucky,” sings PUMPA. The video takes viewers on a feel-good journey, shot around colorful graffiti that seem to encourage happiness.

“The video was a new experience for me, as most people know me for having a lot of energy and jumping around during shows. But I had to get into the acting mode for this, and while it came easy for Janeisha because this is what she does regularly, it was definitely something new for me,” PUMPA said.

PUMPA says he will launch his international single next week as he continues to expand globally. “I have two worlds right now, the local world and the international world.”

He added: “While I will continue to make great local music, mentally I’ve transcended the local scene. So, right now my goal is to get people involved in the international sound. I could feel it, the time is about soon for me to explode internationally.”

PUMPA will find an array of artists on that playground, including mainstays like Machel Montano, Kerwin Du Bois, Destra and Olatunji, among others. But it’s a challenge he appears to be ready for, having gained experience from his early years in the industry and proving himself locally as a venerable artist, with the hit songs to back it up.

Expect more from PUMPA in the Entertainment segment of The Consortium. For regular updates, visit his website here.