20th April, 2022
In this short interview with PM News, Fahda Romie breaks down his journey in the music industry, how he started as a chef before transitioning to music.
Hello can you introduce yourself?
My names are Jerome Downes and I was born on August 9, 1993.
Which schools did you attend?
I attended May Pen Infant School, May Pen Primary School, Knox High School in Spalding Clarendon from 2005-2007, Denbigh High School in May Pen Clarendon. (2007-2010) (Finished the rest of my secondary schooling here from grade 9-11, graduating in the process while achieving excellent grades and considered a top scholar. Passed all my exams; 8 out of 9 subjects with the exception of Mathematics achieving 5 Grade 1’s plus distinctions and 3 Grade 2’s, Tertiary school at Denbigh High School 6th Form (2010-2011) and College HEART College of Hospitality Services, Runaway Bay St. Ann, Jamaica (2013-14)
Can you describe your Family Background?
Don’t know much about my toddler stages, I didn’t quite grow up with my parents. I can remember from age 4 onwards when I was being raised by my grandfather. Was very indisciplined and hard to control, rebellious and adventurous. Grew up in a harsh environment with my grandfather around kids that had no proper guidance or control. We would gather to go on crazy adventures like climbing trees, shooting birds with homemade slingshots, playing street football, video games, etc.
My father migrated to the UK at the aged 4 that’s when I was left with my grandpops. Met my mother for first time at age 8. My grandfather migrated at age 10 then my mother took charge and moved me in to live with her mom (my grandmother) in Jamaica and I lived with her for about 5 years while my mom was living in Cayman Islands. Living with my grandmother was a very interesting and rough experience. I learned a lot from the different families I had around as the community was filled with people that belonged to the family of my grandmother. Lots of adventures every day was like a movie.
My mom moved back to Jamaica in 2009. Lived with her for a year, then moved in with my aunt Shirley where I finished the remainder of my high school. She was a senior teacher at my High School and she did her best to instill discipline in me and the main reason why I was able to achieve all the great grades I achieved in my exams. After graduating High School I moved into my Grandmother’s house (my father’s mom) and I lived there with my younger brother alone for 2 years at this time I was only 16 years old. This point in my life forced me to become more artistic as I had to learn how to survive as a adult on my own. My skills in the kitchen amplified as well as my social skills in the streets dealing with people of various backgrounds, closing deals and hustling to survive. Days passed with very little to eat (long stories) was lucky to have been enrolled into college that’s where my life took a change. Landed a security job the same time I got enrolled into school and this is what i used to fund my schooling, my lifestyle while also hustling selling products to make extra money to give myself a higher standard of life.
Upon finishing college i immediately landed a job in a newly developed hotel called Luxury Bahia Principe Hotel on the north coast of Jamaica in 2014. I managed to keep both my Security Job and my hotel job for over 2 years where i would work at the daytime in the hotel and night time at security. Made a lot of money in my land, lived a very interesting life with ups and downs, and independently bout my first car at age 22 before acquiring my US visa in an attempt to leave Jamaica for new adventures.
In July 2017, I left Jamaica bound for Wisconsin USA when tragedy struck and I was unfortunately whisked back to Jamaica on a flight the next day. I never stopped and I ended up back on a flight to Dubai in November 2017 months after where I’ve managed to build my own empire and the journey continues.
Where have you worked before diving into music?
In August 2017, I landed job at Sutherland Call Center, Mandeville, Jamaica, in September 2017, I landed a job at Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum Company, Siloah, St Elizabeth, Jamaica as a bartender, in October 2017 I attended a Skype interview with managers of Ting Irie Restaurant in Dubai, in November 2017 I Landed in Dubai to take on a new journey in Ting Irie. They flew me out, and in November 2018 I resigned from ting Irie and started a new job as personal chef to Ray HushPuppi Abbas and colleagues, in 2020 Lockdown, I started my own brand and have delivered services to notable names such as: Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Bukayo Saka, Tion Wayne, Fredo, Starino, LailaLoves, ThuyLee, Reece Oxford, Jaydon Gibbs, Focalistic, Ryan Babel, Lesa Milan, Omar Jackson, Ryan Taylor, Quincy Promes, Aron Wan Bissaka, Marcus Rashford.