It is often said the race is not to the swift or the strong but for those who endure to the end. The same can be said of Thriller U whose career has withstood the test of time. Arguably one of the Jamaica’s best vocalists, he has faced the challenges of this demanding industry and remain firmly rooted ready to takes his place in the Reggae Music Hall of Fame. His latest single, “In Common“, a captivating and solid tune, provides notice to the world that he is still at the top of his game and remains a force to be reckoned with among the greatest singers of all time.

Produced by Hopeton Brown of Nyah Bless Music, “In Common” is about two people getting to know each other and finding out they both have something in common. “I know we all have something in common”, states Thriller U. “I have not come out with a song for a long time now and this is a song for you all. This song has the potential to be #1 on the Billboard Charts, and I am not talking the reggae charts!!!”.

Born Eustace Hamilton, he started singing at the tender age of ten. He had no idea that playing tunes from the jukebox with his friends every Sunday in Sligoville would lead to a life changing endeavor and eventually a musical career. He explains, “I was just doing it as a hobby, we were just out there with friends trying to be happy. Those times I never saw music as a career.”

Thriller U‘s UK debut album, Waiting for You, released in 1988, reflected his tremendous talents. The title track was a #1 hit on the United Kingdom Album charts and remained at #1 for eight consecutive weeks. During that time his vibrant single Juggling surged to #1 on the Jamaican Top 40 charts, spending over five weeks. Other #1 hits followed, to include Young and She Green (featuring Johnny P) and I’ll Prove It to You, both represented by Technique Label.

In 1988 Thriller U linked with Donavan Germain and began a collaboration would eventually span over 20 years. He became one of the major singers of Penthouse Records, recording more than 20 singles and an album for the label. The album, Crazy was released in 1989, the same year he was honored Best New Singer of the Year by the Jammy Annual Awards. Since then, he worked with a number of producers, locally and internationally, including Ossie Hibbert, Bobby Digital, King Jammy, Overheat Records Avex Tracks, Sly & Robbie and Rap artist Krs 1.

While enjoying a successful solo career, he joined the vocal group L.U.S.T. (Love, Understanding, Sensitivity and Trust), alongside Singing Melody, Tony Curtis and Lukie D. The combined performers stated that the group was going to put the ‘flava back into reggae’. The group shot to stardom in 2007 thanks to their debut single Sweetness of Your Love which spent multiple weeks atop local charts. They found themselves back into the spotlight in 2009 with their impressive rendition of Air Supply’s 1985 hit, Just As I Am.

Thriller U‘s style is similar to that of Frankie Paul who he considers to be an influence on his musical career. Others include his sister Peaches, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Pinchers and international stars such as James Ingram, Dionne Warwick, Teddy Pendergrass and Michael Jackson. The silky smooth singing style enabled him to obtain an international recognition and he credits the voice for his artist name. He explains, “Originally my name was Baby U, as my father name Big U. When I was singing, people said it thrill them, so they started to call me Thriller U.”

Thriller U remain steadfast in his desire to prove the critics wrong. He has accepted the fact that the reggae music industry has changed a lot. However, he firmly believes reggae is not dancehall, reggae is reggae. His latest single, “In Common” released on the Nyah Bless Music label is solid proof there is hope for the music. And he adds, “Back in the days when we made music it was good music to play to global audiences. This single may be instrumental in putting the industry back on track.”

Thriller U‘s depth and quality of his songs is the driving force that has kept him at the top his game. If he continues to deliver classics such as “In Common“, he will definitely continue to be a major force within the reggae music industry.

Jean-Claude Irakoze, popularly known as Jiji Seven, is a Sweden-based Burundian songwriter and composer who performs gospel reggae. He has been a successful performing artist in Burundi with over a decade experience in his relocation in 2015. He has released two albums; I AM A SOLDIER, and HE KNOWS ME.

First Steps in Music

Jiji Seven grew up in a Christian family where his father was a reverend pastor in Free Methodist Church. As a little kid in Sunday School, he sang with other children.

Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Lucky Dube inspired him to build dreams of changing the world through his songs to fight against cruel injustice like the one that his family and his neighbourhood faced.

In 2003, he began his musical career in a secular music group called ”REMESHA BAND” at Centre Jeune Kamenge.

Born Again

In 2005 he received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour and was born again. From that time on, he realised that the best way to bring others on the track would be to spread an exemplary behaviour.

GMP

Co-founder of GMP (God’s Master Piece), on September 23rd, 2005, Jiji Seven became the leader of this group. Together with GMP he writes and sings a lot of gospel songs.

They are among the first generation of Burundian gospel artists who introduced urban music in the church, something which was not easy at that time. Together with GMP, they have inspired many young people in the country, and a lot of people get to know Christ because of their songs.

Solo Career

Jiji Seven began his solo career at the beginning of the year 2012 and released his first DVD titled: «I AM A SOLDIER». During his concerts within and outside the country and through his songs, he made reggae and dancehall widely appreciated by people. Those styles became his gospel musical ID.

In April 2015, he released the album HE KNOWS ME.

With two albums to his credit, Jiji Seven has seen the need for art as the healer of nations for which reason he was in Ethiopia for two weeks to attend the Artist as Peacebuilder program organised by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in April 2014. This passion for music has made Jiji Seven’s songs amazing tools for evangelisation and education in addition to entertainment.

From Manchester, Jamaica to Dortmund, Germany, Keith ‘Roughhouse’ Powell has emerged a dynamic, multi-talented performer in the music industry. His father, Keith Powell Snr, played guitar for reggae legends Bunny Wailer, Dennis Brown and with Lloyd Parks & We The People Band. The young Powell was literally born into music, his first instrument was the bass, which his father taught him and over the years he learnt on his own to mastery level, the percussions and the guitar.

In 2000 Roughhouse journeyed to Germany on vacation, where he met Sierra Leonean-German singer-songwriter, Patrice, who recognized his talents and soon offered him a contract. Settling in the city of Dortmund, Roughhouse through collaboration with Patrice had an opportunity to work with other musicians- forming and leading the bands ‘Rhaatid’ and ‘Tsunami’ and also producing music with recording artists from Germany like D-Flame (“Unaufhaltsam“, 2003), Uwe Banton (“Jah Roots“, 2006), Nosliw (“Mittendrin“, 2007), Gentleman (“Another Intensity“, 2007), Samy Deluxe (“TNT, 2008 / “Dis wo ich herkomm“, 2009 / “Bis die Sonne rauskommt“, 2009 / “Dis wo ich herkomm LIVE“, 2010 / “Schwarzweiss“, 2011), Max Herre (“Max Herre“, 2009), Die Fantastischen Vier (“Vier“, 2009).

Roughhouse had provided musical support over the years for touring Jamaican Acts in Europe such as Tarrus Riley, Junior Kelly, Ken Boothe, and President Brown. As the musical director touring with Jamaican artiste, Andru Donalds Roughhouse is afforded the experience of performing at festivals like Summer Jam, Chiemsee Reggae, Splash Hip-Hop-Festival, Rock am Ring, Rock am Park and many more famous events in Europe and Russia.

Roughhouse has released 3 albums: 2006 [“My Intention “with 18 tracks, showcasing his versatility of style and subject matter], “Love Divine” in 2012 and an acoustic album “Take a Look” released in 2015. Always the entrepreneur, Roughhouse became co-CEO of the independent record label “MPerium Records” in 2013, under which he and the founder Michael Peukert aka“MicRoyal” produced and released hip-hop/rap, reggae, acoustic and pop music genre.

Ever true to the words ‘Our Past, Present and Future are all happening at once’ Roughhouse lives in each moment. This freedom allows his charismatic, creative and artistic abilities to always be his drivers for success.

Her unique sound and warm voice is seductive, captivating and intense. With a mixed ethnic background from Africa, India and Europe, she has learned to incorporate different cultures and traditions. Something you can feel and hear through her music which is evocative and contains both depth and lightness.

She is the writer of both melodies and lyrics, and though the music she makes is deeply rooted in the rhythm and blues tradition and stems out of black musical roots, she has been able to maintain her own expression and to add to the music her personal touch. In essence, there is a spirituality to her expression, which is quite unique when one considers the down to earth essence in the music genre it is embodied through. Her songs revolve around themes of love and longing, of male/female relationships, of being a woman, and you sense how Pearl’s music is founded in her own being and rooted in her own femininity.

Pearl is born in Botswana and she moved to Denmark when she was 14 years old.  She has performed in several places in Europe, including Moscow where she received radio airplay with a song she featured on by Moscow based Trip-hop/Elctro Jazz band VFSixPearl has collaborated with producers and songwriters from different parts of the world.

Her previous Album ‘The Fall and Rise of a Woman’ was recorded in Denmark in collaboration with the Reggae band ReCulture. It is a cross-over project between different musical genres, namely Reggae, Soul, and Pop.

Pearls new Project/Album which will be due in 2017 will have its focus mainly on Soul, Jazz, AfroSoul/beat and AfroJazz. She has recently become part of the Drinkard Music Group, which is founded by family members of the legendary Drinkard  and Robinson family members which includes great singers such as Cissy Drinkard now known as Cissy Houston. Pearls Album will be released and mostly produced by the Drinkard Music Group in 2017. For more info visit: http://pearlsoul.com/

Many international artistes struggle to find their space and musical identity. There are those who experiment with various musical styles and others who use their own culture to define their ultimate sound. For emerging reggae artiste “Kingseyes”, musical identity came from his exposure to a potpourri of cultures and backgrounds throughout his lifetime. His first single “Mamacita Bonita” demonstrates the arrival of a fresh new talent, with the energy that capitivates his audience, but strikes out in its own territory. The “Kingseyes” sound is appealing to reggae and soca followers, but can easily be identified with those who are soothed by smooth Lover’s Rock, Dancehall, Pop or House music. He defines his sound as Reggaeton – a blend of Jamaican dancehall, Trinidadian soca, Latin American salsa and electronica.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Kingeyes is no stranger to music having started his career at the age of 10, singing on school and church choirs back in his childhood hometown. With numerous opportunities available to his parents in Europe, he left Nigeria in 1993 and moved to Stuttgart, Germany where he has been residing since. While in Europe, Kingseyes explored many professional fields and currently holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Law and a Master of Arts degree in International Business Management and Strategy. With his many years of experience in Law and Business Management, Kingseyes soon realized that his true passion was with music. Finding balance with maintaining a day job and pursuing your true passion had not always been easy for this artiste, and found his solace recording and performing with a pop band called “E- Connection” in 1996. The group gained some recognition with hit single “Dreaming of You”, which was used as a soundtrack on of Germany’s leading soap opera series – “Gute Zeiten Schlechte Zeiten”. The group changed its name to “Dream Beat” in 1998 and later recorded a cover version of Whitelion’s “When the Children Cry”, released on the Bravo hit compilation album in 1998.

He continued to tour and record singles with the group until 2000 when he embarked on his solo project. In that same year, Kingseyes teamed with the producers of Magic
Affairs to record pop single “Oh Lalala”. The song was never released because the parties could not settle on a satisfactory deal. Kingseyes recorded his last pop song in 2003 titled “I Can’t Stop Loving You”, the track was released by Universal Records and Digidance in the Netherlands.

By 2007, Kingseyes had perfected his craft as a “pop” musician and recording artiste, shared stage with top reggae performers including Luciano, Ziggy Marley, Inner Circle, I Threes, Linkon Kwesi Johnson, Gramps and Peter Morgan of Morgan Heritage, top pop acts of the 90’s – Funfactory, Pharaoh as well as Master Boy. Despite varied success and exposure as a pop artiste, his reggae inspiration forced him to experiment with the Jamaican rooted genre. Influenced by the sounds of veteran reggae stalwarts Beres Hammond, Jimmy Cliff, King Yellow Man, Freddy McGregor, Josey Wales, Shabba Ranks and the lengendary Bob Marley; Kingseyes created an infusion of reggae, ska and rocksteady as the frontman for “No Sports” – one of Germany’s best known Ska and Rocksteady bands. He led the band between 1999 and 2003.

Boasting over fifteen years in reggae and reggaeton music, Kingseyes delivers a unique concert experience during his performances, whether on a large open air reggae festival or in the typical European nightclub scene. He has performed in numerous cities in Germany and was featured on the annual Cologne Summerjam Reggae Festival in 2005 and 2007. Kingseyes has also toured major cities in Switzerland, Spain, Austria and France. Kingseyes also recently returned from the Gambia, where he had a successful ten days tour.

He is currently signed to independent label Nicbay Records/Juggler Records and worked with various international music producers to deliver his first 17-track reggaeton album, released early last year. Christopher Birch (Birch Records), Javier and Julian Montilla from Columbia produced tracks on the debut, along with German-based producers Royal Commanders, Jimmy Love from Harlem New York (USA), German producer and singer Ganjaman, Roger “Sunlounger” Shah, House of Riddim as well as Jugglerz.

Indeed, his passion for reggae music is based on the positive messages and the life it brings to its listeners. Kingseyes explains, “Reggae music has soul, and it is the soul of the music that never leaves your ears and your heart.” Though the album is a combination of reggae, dancehall and reggaeton flavours, it promises to be a captivating and moving debut that heralds the arrival of a gifted multicultural talent; one whose sound is familiar, yet inspiring to many. The album “Curiosity” is available for online downloads on iTunes, Musicload, Rhapsody, Play, Medion and Juno Download.

Kingseyes is hungry for success and is ready to take on the world. “ I am in this to stay, I want to take my music worldwide, I am here to inspire, revolutionize and break all barriers. The most high sees everything (Kingseyes).”

For bookings, further information and to schedule interviews contact: ckingseyes@googlemail.com or info@jugglerz.de

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kingseyes music
Twitter: www.twittwer.com/kingseyes_music
Music Download: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/curiosity/id952329268
Video Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjyeXFWLKhQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=027GXrgXdcs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QanTb-B_aGA

Growing up in war-torn Sri Lanka motivated Franklin Fernando to go to battle. But instead of taking up arms, he armed himself with a guitar, and songs that speak of a century-old struggle.

Born in Winnipeg, Fernando and his family relocated to Sri Lanka amidst the nation’s longstanding civil war between two ethnic groups – the Sinhalese (majority) and Tamil (minority) people. The son of a Sinhalese tradesman who provided sanctuary for his Tamil wife and her family, a young Fernando found himself struggling to find his identity during formative teen years.

After returning to Winnipeg in 2007, with tensions still rising in Sri Lanka, Fernando didn’t know what to do about the empathy he felt for his fellow Tamils. “I was living an illusion. I didn’t think I could make a difference.”

It wasn’t until graduating high school and taking a job at a worker-owned co-op café that Fernando’s perspective was monumentally impacted. Enlightenment came in the form of an article written by Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge about ongoing conflicts between the Sinhalese and Tamils. “In that moment I realized these are the two groups that make up my heritage – these are my people, this is my homeland,” he says emphatically. “Reading that story simply changed my life.”

Fernando was compelled to take action. His weapon would become a Fender Stratocaster; his ammunition, a catalogue of songs that promoted peace, empowerment, and prosperity. His army? An ever-expanding legion of followers who dig reggae music…

Franklin Fernando first met Rasta percussionist Martin Valach in 2010, at a late-night drum jam on Canada Day. A long-time veteran of Winnipeg’s reggae circle, Valach shared Fernando’s passion for making music with a message. “Martin really shaped me and the music I wanted to make,” says Fernando. “He showed me the power of reggae.”

Valach became Fernando’s musical muse and co-founder of reggae outfit RasTamils. The band name combines two words representative of two cultures – ‘Ras’ (short for Rastafarian) and ‘Tamils’ (the name of Sri Lanka’s minority people). Putting these two words together reflects the hope that Franklin Fernando and his bandmates share of cultures coming together around the world.

Rounding out RasTamils are Christian DeVoin (bass), J.R. Hill (lead guitar), Andy Castello (keyboards), Matthew Walden (trumpet) and Janice Finlay (saxophone/ flute). Together, they create a beautifully layered and tasteful take on the classic reggae rhythms of Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Sly & Robbie, and Bob Marley, combined with popular pop reggae sounds of Busy Signal and Christopher Martin, and simple ‘80s rock. Lead vocalist Fernando has a style reminiscent of Qawwali singers Nasrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and home-inspired Gunadasa Kapuge.

The culmination of their sonic concoction can be heard on the band’s self- titled 2011 EP – a collection of seven dance- inducing tracks laced with RasTamils’ ever-potent, politically-charged lyrics. The album received positive attention from the CBC, whose program Manitoba Scene chose the track Friends as one of the Top 5 of 2012.

Their second album, It’s a Dream, was released in September 2015. It contains 11 soulful reggae anthems, in solidarity with the Tamil people of Sri Lanka. “We’re trying to open people’s eyes to what’s happening in the world,” says Fernando. “Music is known as the gateway to the soul, and the gateway to the heart. We also believe that, most importantly, music is the gateway to the mind.” ! Fernando has a unique take on success that is best summarized in the words of a quote he finds inspirational, by Booker T. Washington: “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.”

From the stage, RasTamils are as inspiring as they are informative. “It’s really just friends coming together to play,” Fernando says. It’s this ease that contributes to the sense of community that extends from the stage and into the audience, whether it’s a crowd of dozens at a local club or thousands from an outdoor stage. It’s this sense of community that drives home their message.