Artists

The Rasta rebel. Kiddus I has been the best kept secret of Jamaican music for the last fifty years, as he always refused to play the game of the record industry. In 1978, his legendary appearance in the movie “Rockers” brings him attention and offers from worldwide producers. He declines all of them to go independent, becoming the most iconic symbol of integrity and spirituality of Jamaican music, respected by the most radicals rastas. His return on stage is a very special event for Jamaica connoisseurs, and maybe a late chance of notoriety to a wider audience, at 74, for this golden voice legend.

Son of a pastor, Winston McAnuff has had a thousand jobs in his life, before getting a remarkable success in France on musical field (nominated at the French Grammys for his project with accordionist Fixi). He is also the father of Matthew McAnuff, one of the young stars of the 00’s generation, tragic victim of the violence after he released his international hit “Be Careful”. Winston still represents him through the Inna de Yard project as well as his own repertoire he has been building since 40 years. 

Since his first hit at 13, Ken Boothe counts more number one hits in the charts than Bob Marley in the sixties. He is the perfect “Caribbean lover” in the heart of Jamaican women, also nicknamed “the Godfather of Soul” for his powerful and charismatic voice. Fast-tracked at the top of the British charts in 1975 with his “Everything I Own” (later covered by Culture Club), he almost disappeared after that until the 00’s. If his career has never been as important as his Jamaican reputation, he is one of the very last legends alive in reggae soul music.

A unique Voice. Cedric Myton was the leader of the Congos, a vocal trio crowned for his album “Heart of the Congos” as one of the best in history by the Rolling Stones Magazine. The singular falsetto voice of Cedric is pure beauty and made his success and reputation across the globe. This 71 years old singer, stuffed of energy and vitality, is also a strong character whose chaotic life never faded his joviality.

In 1970, Horace Hinds is spotted by the famous producer Clement Coxsone Dodd following an audition in his Studio One. From this moment, he takes the name of Horace Andy and continues successes until “Skylarking”, reggae monument of the time. Years go by and see Horace collaborate with the big names of the moment: Derrick Harriot, Bunny Lee or King Tubby. It’s without a doubt his unique and touching falsetto voice that will bring him to work in the early 90’s with the British group Massive Attack on no less than 5 albums! Horace Andy is one of the most popular Jamaican singers, even outside of his native island and for those not fans of reggae music.

Among the great family of jamaican vocal trios, The Viceroys owns one of the most luxurious discographies of the kind. Former jewelers, they learnt the music on the church benches, in choirs and in the streets before passing the doors of the legendary Studio One in 1967.

Amongst the women singers appeared these last years on the reggae scene, Jah9 is the most popular, on her island and outside the borders. Rasta, rebel and proud of her black identity that she claims with the raised fist, she is also an artist, author, poet, singer and yoga teacher. With only two albums, she tours worldwide since several years.

Famous chorus-singer of the legendary Bob Marley until 1981, only reggae woman nominated at the Grammy Awards for her album Working Wonders, Judy Mowatt is a committed woman, at the top of the feminist reggae personnalities of the island. For her solo career as much as her adventure alongside Marley, the Jamaican  government  honored her Officer of the Order of Distinction for her services to the jamaican music in 1999.

Figure of the new rasta generation inspired by the organic and conscious music, Var grew in a farmers family, in the heart of the Maroon’s lands, historical region of the fight for the slaves liberation. When he doesn’t play at SXSW with his own group or at the Trianon with Inna de Yard, he spends his time in the jamaican mountains and rivers to write and sing texts inspired by his rasta roots.

Derajah is one of the « ghettos Youth » from Kingston who would have been in a gang or in a coffin if music had not saved him from this nightmarish environment. Derajah’s chance is to heal himself from everything  thanks to music,  like the murder of his sister in 2012, which inspired him the poignant song « Tribute to My Sister ». 

The son of Winston and founder of the Uprising Roots Band belongs to the new generation of musicians in Jamaica. As a member of Inna de yard since the first albums released on Makasound Records, he ensure the Nyabinghi rhythm section as well as the backing vocals. His song “Black to I Roots” is an anthem to the roots of his culture, black pride, and the authenticity of this music which continues to reinvent itself with style.