‘Big Up Kamala’ goes viral with nearly half a million views – Caribbean Life

Jamaican reggae artist Richie Stephens is warming hearts in the US with his new single “Big Up Kamala Harris.” Since social media influencer Sherry Southe-Tyme posted it on Facebook, it has been viewed or played 443,000 times.

Vice President Kamala Harris is the Democratic presidential candidate who will run against former President Donald J. Trump in the November 5 presidential election.

Southe-Tyme said she was surprised when the post on her page received thousands of views a day.

“I posted the song on August 28th and was very surprised by the response the song received,” she said Living in the Caribbean on Monday. “I got notifications that different people were following me. One time I had over 1,000 new followers in one day.

“The song helps to make Kamala better known in the diaspora,” she added. “Many Jamaicans in the diaspora identify with this song, mainly because of their Jamaican roots and especially because the song was written by a Jamaican.”

“I find that a video for the song would also be helpful,” Southe-Tyme continued.

Harris, the daughter of retired Jamaican economist Dr. Donald Harris and the late Indian Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, rose through the ranks of California politics and law enforcement to become the first female vice president in U.S. history.

Stephens said the vice president's brilliance and her Caribbean roots inspired him to write the song.

“I respect the brilliance of Vice President Kamala Harris,” he said Living in the Caribbean. “And no matter what some naysayers say, her roots are Jamaican and Indian, which cannot be changed.”

Stephens said “Big Up Kamala” went viral without any advertising.

“It all happened very organically and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” he said. “People have just picked up the song and carried it forward because of the sound, and it's relatable.”

“And it's not just people from the Jamaican/Caribbean diaspora who love the song,” he added. “Americans are fascinated by the song too.”