Women are behaving strangely in the presence of Hal Linton. “It seems they are star- struck,” he remarks politely, “I don’t know why, because it’s Barbados. I ain’t gone nowhere yet.” For those of us on the receiving end of his soulful melodies it’s not where Hal has gone (though a summer tour throughout the US as part of the soulicious Heineken Red Star Tour line-up has recently manifested). On the contrary, it’s where Hal has taken us that has left stardust in stargazers’ view.

A little over a year ago there was no ‘Hal Linton’ as the public has come to know him now. His rites-of-passage to singer/songwriter/producer renown was void of the accepted local traditions (singing competitions, nightclub gigs, or Crop-Over one-track quickies) as preludes to success. Instead, he just appeared, supernova-style, making cosmic music that touches the soul with the soft organic feel of brushed cotton.

Some caption the pelau of James Brown funk, neo-soul undertones, and Al Green wails which ooze throughout Linton’s ten-track soul music debut album Spirit, Life, & Love as R&B. “I don’t sing R&B,” Hal corrects those prone to such sacrilegious acts. “Soul music is what I know. It’s really not R&B music per se because R&B music has kind of a sweeter texture about it. I guess mine is grittier in the sense of the texture and quality. It’s not as pretty sounding.”

Which leads us to the oxymoronic nature of the use of Hal Linton and gritty in the same sentence. If anything, the 23-year old Christmas day born crooners’ musical style is tender and savoury like summer cookout food…hot off the grill. His lyrics caress and inspire with a suaveness absent in R&B’s crass degradation of sweet love affairs to bump-and-grind encounters. It’s just a matter of preference for Linton whose Christian roots led some to accidentally file him away in the Gospel music category.

“I am not a gospel artist. I am a spiritual person. I can’t help but be because of my Christian roots. However, I don’t do Christian music even though my music reflects who I am. I prefer to sing music that makes you think a bit about yourself, to be more introspective. I prefer to sing music that is about love. That is about the good things in life. That is what my music is about so, no— it’s not Christian music but it’s written by a Christian person.”

It has been a whirlwind year for Linton with the debut track Cardiac Arrest mashing up the airwaves, making off with four Barbados Music Awards, and an appearance at the Barbados Jazz Festival. Barring all the hype, Hal has managed to stay level. “We live on the ground. If you feel you are anywhere else, it’s in some way an illusion. I’m not saying I would ever stop being excited, however, when the show is over and the show is done you still have to walk about the place again.” With such humble demeanour, connecting with the ladies still hasn’t been easy. “Before this whole artist thing happened I guess the girl thing was going a bit better. In all honesty it seems that when you become an artist, women behave strange. It’s like they’re not sure what to say or do. I still talk to them as much as I can because it’s clear that they like what I am doing although they may not be able to articulate that at the time but the love is felt.” 

So is there a love interest for the newly crowned heartthrob? “Of course there will always be love interest. You have to have love interest…she has to be loving a conversationalist for sure ‘cause we must talk about everything. I prefer girls that are very interested in world affairs. I love a God-fearing woman…spiritual-minded because we have to be on the same path there. That’s about it. Those are like the basics.”

Photography: Rachelle Gray