Where is Collie Buddz From?
Who Is Collie Buddz?
Collin Patrick Harper, better known by his stage name, “Collie Buddz” is a reggae and dancehall music artist and producer. He is known for his catchy, upbeat tracks and smoking anthems that blend elements of reggae, hip hop, and pop. Collie Buddz first gained popularity in the mid-2000s with his debut single “Come Around,” which became a hit in the United States and abroad. Since then, he has released several successful albums and singles, including “Blind to You”, “Good Life,” and “Love & Reggae.” Collie Buddz is known for his energetic live performances, and has toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. His music is a fusion of traditional reggae and modern pop, and he has a dedicated following of fans all over the world. Today he records under his own record label, Harper Productions.
"From an island, but not the one you're thinking of..."
So where is Collie Buddz From?
Collie Buddz was born in New Orleans, LA, in the United States of America, to a mother of Bermudian heritage. When he was 4 years old, his family moved back to the island of Bermuda, where he remained until he finished high school. When he was ready to pursue an Associates Degree in Audio Recording & Engineering, he relocated to the U.S. state of Florida and afterwards, set up a music studio in Toronto, Canada. Despite being born in the US and spending the majority of his musical career in other countries, Collie Buddz is a Bermudian citizen and has always been open and proud about his Bermudian nationality and heritage. His mother has lineage that can be traced back to the 1700’s on Bermuda and the island is where he makes his permanent residency.
Where Is Bermuda?
Bermuda is a British island territory in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 1,200 miles away from Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean. Bermuda is actually closer to the North East cost of the United States than it is to any island in the Caribbean. So despite occasional listener/fan confusion, Collie Buddz is not Jamaican or Caribbean at all for that matter.
So what Is Collie Buddz' Accent?
So does that mean that the Collie Buddz accent we hear in his music is a Bermudian accent? Not exactly. Bermudian English is the regional dialect of the island of Bermuda and most say it more closely resembles the accent and speech of American English spoken in South Carolina and Virginia. The Bermudian accent is also commonly mistaken by Americans as British. However, many Americans also believe most English dialects (Australian, New Zealand, Irish, Scottish, etc.) all to just sound “British.”
His Accent Has People Talking
Take a look in the comments of any interview with Collie Buddz and you will find a sea of heated debates and conversations regarding the origin and authenticity of his accent. The truth of the matter is that, while faint and difficult to identify, he does have a Bermudian accent. Bermudian fans and listeners continue to confirm this for us. However, Collie Buddz himself admits that he listened to reggae and dancehall growing up and tried to figure out what they were saying, and how “it took a lot of work” to learn the accent that we hear in many of his verses (“Me a take a likkle draw…Dem inna showdown…Nuff ganja, nuff spliff…etc”).
In conclusion, Collie Buddz has a Bermudian accent because that is his nationality and where he was raised, but he also likes to use some Caribbean sounding vernacular alongside it in his music. He has another hit song called “Mamacita” and and nobody is calling that appropriation. His music remains catchy and popular and if you need to pinpoint his accent let’s just call it “Buddz speak” and move on.
