Garfield Thomas, who is publicly known as Rufftop Rock I, is reggae recording artist who has a rich musical history which started when he was a child.

In his childhood days Thomas resided in a small community known as Two Rivers in Roses Hill, St. Andrew, Jamaica. Like a lot of Jamaican singers before him, he started singing in church. Though he recalls always belting out songs when he was a youth, there was one particular experience that he felt was significant in him deciding, definitively, that he wanted to sing professionally.

One Sunday after returning home from service, he was in a chocolate tree on a banking looking at the river; for some inexplicable reason he began chanting a popular gospel song: “I need another touch from the Lord, to guide me on the way to go home.” As the words left his mouth, tears ran from his eyes; and that was the moment that served as a catalyst for his career in music.

Unfortunately, due to political unrest in the aforementioned community, Thomas’ family, specifically his mother and six siblings, had to relocate to Allman Hill in the tiny district of Spring Field in St. Catherine, Jamaica. This is where Garfield started to experience music outside of the church.

The area had a popular sound-system called Prince Fame that would keep regular dancehall sessions. At these gatherings young Garfield got the opportunity to perform in front of an attentive audience. He also spent a lot of time honing his craft on a smaller sound called Brimestone. With Brimestone, in addition to performing, he was allowed to select music and compete against other artists to see who had better lyrics, flow and style. These clashes were instrumental in sharpening his music skills.

Garfield, who was now being called Daddy Mutt, soon became best friends with Fiyaneer, the son of one of the sound-system owners. They began making music together, like a duo, and were constantly in the streets pursuing new opportunities. One such opportunity came in the early 90s when they met the operator of Nitty Phonic Sound. The connection with him led to them linking up with Bescenta, another talented artist whose addition to the team transformed their duo to a trio called Kill Dead Crew. By the late 90s the group started to gain traction, so much so that they had to change the name to something that was more accepted. They decided to go with New Generation. Around the same time, they got the chance to do a few shows in the U.S. and once they saw that the group had the potential to be big, they opted to change the name yet again, this time to something with more significance: Kana Stone.

Garfield, who had now switched his name to Mutt Daddy, has shared the stage with artists like Nadine Sutherland, the Marley brothers and several other top-tier reggae and dancehall artists. He has done so as an individual act as well as with the ensemble Kana Stone.

Regretfully, the men dismantled the group in 04 / 05 when Bescenta decided to leave. However, they did remain friends and continued working on their respective careers. That being said, in 2006 Rufftop entered Jamaica’s Festival Song Competition. Sadly, he did not win, but was acknowledged and awarded for his stellar performance. His final name change was made shortly before the contest.

Prior to the competition Fiyaneer had suggested that he change his name from Mutt Daddy to Rufftop. He told him this because at the time Garfield was making it known that he was not very comfortable with the name Mutt Daddy and was seeking something that better represented him. Fiyaneer went with Rufftop because Garfield was always eating a biscuit with the same name. Rufftop agreed and immediately took on the new moniker. Rock I was added when the producer he worked with during the festival competition told him that Rock I would suit him better than Rufftop. Not wanting to lose the Rufftop, he decided to use both: hence Rufftop Rock I.

The following year, in 2007, before migrating to America, Rufftop Rock I worked at the Bob Marley Birthday Celebration at Ranny Williams Center in Kingston.

Rufftop Rock I now lives in the United States and is working with one of the most respected record labels in the reggae-dancehall industry, Reggae Vibes Music. They just released his new four-track EP, titled The World Needs Love. It goes without saying that both Rufftop Rock I and the team at Reggae Vibes Music are now in full promo mode as they hope to use this project to expand his fanbase.

Sheldon Gava is a Rastafarian recording artist, poet and budding actor based in South Florida (U.S.A.).

He was born in Old Harbor Bay, St. Catherine, Jamaica, but grew up in Brooklyn, New York with his parents; except for Summer breaks, which were spent in Toronto, Ontario.

Gava’s first interest in the entertainment industry came when he was in Middle School, where he studied drama. It was there that he auditioned to play the leading role of Clinton for Spike Lee’s film Crooklyn. Although his acting skills were good enough to get him to the finals, he was eventually cut because of his age. Not being one to give up, he continued to work on his stagecraft and was later accepted at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, an institution that has schooled the likes of Alicia Keys. Unfortunately, his mother insisted that he attended Brooklyn Tech instead, one of the top academic high schools in the nation. Sadly, Sheldon never really settled into Brooklyn Tech, and as such he lost interest in acting and ended up quitting the drama club.

In addition to being drawn to the stage, Sheldon Gava was also very passionate about writing. He explains his love for penning words as follows: “Migrating from Jamaica to the States, at the beginning of Elementary School other students could not understand when I spoke heavy patois. I was ridiculed for my accent which led to a lot of fighting and suspensions even though academically I was a gifted student. In grade 4 I won a New York Citywide Martin Luther King Jr Day essay contest which I read for an audience of hundreds of other students and teachers from schools all across the city. I found writing to be the one single way that everyone could understand what I had to say, so I developed a passion for writing.”

Throughout his teenage years he would do freelance writing for magazines offering a few dollars for a certain word count, poetry style, or subject matter. The pay was not great compared to all the rights he gave away, but those freelance submissions taught him a lot about different poetry styles. Lessons that would serve him well later in life.

By the early 2000s he was a published poet with a growing fan base, who was frequenting open mic poetry recitals. At one such recital he met a group of Roots Dub musicians who invited him to their studio to record a few spoken word tracks. While working with them, gradually poems transitioned to lyrics, and just like that he added songwriter and recording artist to his title.

Sheldon Gava, the artist, would later record at Jamhill Studios in Lauderhill, Florida, a place that had several Grammy plaques on the wall; ornamental tablets achieved from working with various reggae legends in the past. Most of Gava’s early studio works however, were done at 56 Real Productions. This is due in part to the fact that they had an in-house producer / engineer who was from Old Harbor. Because Sheldon is also an Old Harbor man the two spent hours in the studio every day working on his lyrical delivery and overall sound.

Among his discography is a ten-track album titled Natty De Ras, which was released in October, 2020 on his own Gava Music LLC label. The project received mixed reviews, with standout track Ras Tafari earning international critical acclaim.

Fast-forward to 2021 and a more knowledgeable, focused Sheldon Gava is again sharing a new project. His latest offering is Weather Change, a seven-track EP that was officially published on April 30^th, 2021. Gava and his team are now in full promo mode as they are committed to exposing this new record to a wider audience.

Though he is now known and respected as a recording artist, Sheldon remains active as a poet and has even resumed acting. In recent years he has been committed to playing the role of daddy to his three kids: Nyah, Sara, and Malakai. His dedication to his Rastafarian faith is always on all full display in every area of his life.

^{WRITTEN BY MARIA JACKSON}

For as long as he can remember, music and Rastafari have been part of Izi Ion‘s life. It was not until the late 1980s however, that he recorded his first song and in the next decade became a committed disciple of Rastafari.

Izi Ion was born Vollin Garth Headley in the Flour Hill district, a small, family-friendly community in St. James, Jamaica. It was there that he learned the importance of farming and self-sustainment; something he actively partakes in to this day. He considers farming an essential part of life and explains it like this: “my leisure time, I’m in the farm tilling the soil, planting food and making herbal medicine. Building up the structure and living a healthy lifestyle.” In addition to agriculture, Izi is also a fashion designer who specializes in indigenous clothing and jewelry.

His musical career started in 1989 under the name Chiney Eye, a moniker he was called because of the shape of his eyes. His initial songs were Talk & Run and Accident.

By the mid-1990s, there was a cultural shift in Jamaican dancehall with the Rastafarian influence returning to the forefront; this is thanks to artists like Garnet Silk, Tony Rebel and Everton Blender. It was during that time that Vollin Garth Headley aka Chiney Eye evolved into Iziniga. His songs took on a distinct Afrocentric flavor, which stood out when they were played on the radio. Because he was raised on the nourishing music of reggae legends Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Jimmy Cliff, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs and Culture, he somehow managed to create music that had a similar impact on the listener.

As a live act, Izi Ion toured The Netherlands and Belgium in the mid-nineties and has performed at major events such as Reggae Sumfest and Rebel Salute.

He kicked off 2021 with the release of So Many Sounds, a song produced by Kenneth Thompson for the KENERGi Music Label. It is his first song for the emerging music imprint, which is based in Florida (U.S.A). Like most of his previous releases, So Many Sounds is driven by his spiritual beliefs and is filled with relevant and timely Rastafarian teachings.

When asked what he would like people to take away from his music, Izi Ion said the following: “My main mission is to endorse the message of Rastafari. That is what I live for.”

_{UPDATED BY MARIA JACKSON}

Wade Thompson, also known as Tommie Tei, is a reggae / dancehall recording artist and songwriter who hails from the Banbury District in Linstead, Jamaica.

His musical journey began unconsciously at age eight when he had the opportunity to sing and perform before a live audience at church. The experience had a positive impact on him; so much so that he subsequently fostered the skills he acquired as a young singer at the sanctuary and went on to perform in the community’s annual Grand Market Christmas Eve celebration. It was at this and other similar events, that Tommie Tei became known and respected as a legitimate entertainer.

Over the years, in between his regular 9 to 5 jobs, some of which required him to travel overseas, Tommie Tei remained steadfast in his desire to become a professional recording artist with a wide audience. To that end, he has consistently worked on his craft, continuously improving his competence as both a vocalist and a lyricist. He has, and continues to seek the guidance of more accomplished artists and musicians; and his dedication and commitment has led to him carving out a niche for himself. He now fuses elements of pop music with his Jamaican reggae: a sound that his fans and supporters seem to love and appreciate.

To date, Tommie Tei has recorded and released several singles. A couple worth noting are Police & Soldier, which is his first official release done in 1994 and one that led to him performing on stages outside of his Linstead community. Good Girl is another record that received steady rotation and was even featured on a prominent reggae compilation by 3000 Records. In May, 2012, Tommie Tei shared his first ever triple track EP, titled Music for the Soul. It was produced by TEE and JAA Records. He has since followed up with additional singles.

Fast-forward to 2021 and Tommie Tei and his team are now focused on his brand-new EP, Win This Time. The project, which was released on May 11th, 2021, has six tracks and features two collaborations. Since it was published, it has been getting favorable reviews by both music critics and industry insiders. Team Tommie Tei is now in full promo mode as the intent is to push this EP as aggressively as they can.

 Stay connected with Tommie Tei and follow his musical journey on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

^{WRITTEN BY MARIA JACKSON}