When Wayne Wonder recorded “No Letting Go” 20 years ago, he knew there was something special about the song, which was recorded on producer Steven “Lenky” Marsden’s Diwali ‘riddim’.
“From the moment we created it, the song just had a good, good feeling. Mix DJs started to play and at the time I was in the US doing groundwork with advice from Shaggy,” the singer recalled.
That groundwork paid off. “No Letting Go” peaked at number 11 on Billboard Magazine’s Hot 100 Songs chart in 2003. Twenty years after its release, it has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
That means the single has surpassed sales of over 500,000 units.
Wonder, who lives in South Florida, welcomed certification of his biggest commercial success. He described the recognition as “a true blessing.”
“No Letting Go” was one of several hit singles on the Diwali, an exotic beat that also drove Sean Paul’s “Get Busy”, “Sufferer” by Bounty Killer and “Galang Gal” from TOK.
Prior to “No Letting Go”, Wayne Wonder was known primarily in dancehall circles. He had sizable hits in Jamaica and ethnic markets overseas with songs like “Saddest Day of My Life”, “Joyride” and “Keep Them Coming”.
“No Letting Go” also made the Top 10 of Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart. It did similarly well in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Belgium.
Written By Howard Campbell