Sanchez is one of the all time favorite singer/performer who transforms his audience into a mass choir at his live performances. He epitomizes elegance and style and is always splendidly attired in a formal suit, enhanced with gold chains and bracelets, giving fans the ultimate in appearance and presentation. His selection of songs range from soulful R&B to hardcore Dancehall, Reggae, balanced with religiously calming cuts that enhance the spiritual vibes of his act. 
Born Kevin Anthony Jackson on November 30, 1964, Sanchez grew up in the Stony Hill and Waterhouse sections of Kingston, Jamaica. Like so many of the island’s celebrated vocalists Sanchez started singing in the church at a tender age, just 6 years old. By his 13th birthday he led the junior, then the senior choir at the Rehoboth Apostolic Church in the southeastern Jamaican parish of St. Catherine. As is true for numerous church-trained reggae superstars the secular lure of Saturday night sound system dances proved more compelling than Sunday morning church services. “Music transformed me; coming home from church and passing parties, hearing people on the mic doing their thing, people jumping and all of that, I was like LAAWD! That’s what I want to do!” Sanchez reminisced, his voice becoming more animated. “But I said OK, you can’t do both; if you are going to go out there, just go out there because you can’t have one foot in (the church) and one foot out. So I decided I am going into dancehall music, good reggae music overall.”

Back in the mid 1980s when Jamaican sound systems were still as notable for their resident artists as they were for their exclusive tunes, Sanchez was the selector (the person who selects the records/CDs for play) for Rambo International Sound System, one of the era’s most popular because it was home to three of the era’s top deejays (rappers) Flourgon, Daddy Lizard, and Red Dragon. The deejay trio dubbed Kevin Jackson “Sanchez” after he executed an overhead scissors kick during an impromptu game of football (soccer), an impressive feat associated with the legendary Mexican player Hugo Sanchez. Jamaica’s Sanchez displayed comparable dexterity in the dancehall as a top-notch selector with commanding vocal capabilities. “Whenever I got the privilege of selecting, I made use of it, believe me, even if it’s a wedding reception, I am going to find a point to put on a few songs and sing something,” he laughingly recalled. “After I played the right (vocal) side of the music, I would flip it over and do my piece (singing along to the instrumental side) and people would stare at one another and say is he singing for real? I kept thinking of pursuing a career in this field greater than selecting. I tried it, it worked and I never looked back.” Sanchez recorded his first single for producer Hugh “Redman” James, a cover of Chris DeBurgh’s blockbuster ballad “Lady In Red” in 1986.  As Sanchez’s rendition climbed the Jamaican charts, the singer was suddenly deluged with offers from producers anxious to adapt his magnificent vocals into hits of their own. An onslaught of hit tunes followed including a soulful interpretation of Tony Braxton’s “Another Sad Love Song” for Bobby Digital’s Digital B label; an upbeat reggae rendition of Glenn Medeiros’ “Lonely Won’t Leave Me Alone” for Winston Riley’s Techniques; a rollicking remake of funk band Ready For The World’s “Let Me Love You Down” for Black Scorpio, and a sincere one-drop do over of Air Supply’s “Here I Am” for Phillip Fattis Burrell’s Xterminator. Sanchez earned multiple Jamaican music awards throughout the ’87 to ’88 season and his 1988 performance at Jamaica’s (now defunct) Reggae Sunsplash garnered an unprecedented five encores, an occurrence he cites as one of the most extraordinary moments of his long, illustrious career. Throughout the 90s and into the 21st century, Sanchez’s honey-toned interpretations continued to sweeten the dancehall mix, irrespective of musical trends. His soaring yet controlled sound propelled stunning covers of Shai’s “If I Ever Fall In Love Again” and Michael Bolton’s “Missing You Now” as well as his original songs of worship “Praise Him” and “Never Dis the Man,” to the top of international reggae charts and to prominent positions on selectors’ play lists where they remain today, a testament to the timelessness of his flawless approach. 

Most people associate roots reggae with Bob Marley, which makes sense. No other 20th-century artist so dominated an entire genre. The drawback of Marley's ubiquity is that roots reggae can feel like a fossilized sound that peaked in the late 1970s and disappeared with Marley in 1981. The subsequent rise of Jamaican dancehall and digital production didn't help its case for modernity, nor did its Rastafarian wariness of Western culture, a.k.a. Babylon.

But roots reggae's pulse never died out. It slowed, there's no doubt about that, but like the British in 1939, it kept calm and carried on. For the past 15 years, its most distinct torchbearer has been Vaughn Benjamin, leader of St. Croix's Midnite. Benjamin is Rastafari through and through, and seems less concerned with pop hits than with spreading messages of peace and unity. On paper, that sincerity and devotion can feel quaint, but like all things zen, you need to meet it halfway to truly appreciate it. Once you do, Benjamin's incantations are captivating.

For Midnite's new album, Kings Bell, Benjamin traveled to Marley's Tuff Gong Studio in Kingston, Jamaica, and worked with some of the island nation's best session musicians. It's the first time Midnite has recorded in reggae's homeland, and the new digs appear to provided a shot in the arm. While Benjamin's words and delivery still feel like monastic chants, the riddims here are more upbeat than those in much of the Midnite catalog. For example, the single "Mongst I & I" — which highlights the Rastafarian belief that we're all one under Jah, hence "I and I" — might be the catchiest song Benjamin has ever written.

This all makes Kings Bell a great entry point for those new to Midnite's music. If you like what you hear, there's a lot more to explore — Benjamin has released more than two dozen albums since 1997. It's a worthy rabbit hole for reggae fans who want a little flesh and bone with their blood and fire. Watch the official video for there new sing "Mongst I and I" below.

source : NPR

Despite being one of America's most active artists in the bass-heavy electronic music subgenre called dubstep, Richmond District resident Justin McCauley is keeping his day job. "One month you'll have a million shows and your sales will be great, and the next month could be weak," he says. McCauley, 30, puts in ...

[Contributor : Mad Max ]

In 1999, Valentine Nakrumah Fraser caught the attention of ace 
 reggae crooner Beres Hammond. Relishing the spiciness in the 
 young artiste's voice, the senior reggae balladeer also noted 
 Fraser's craving for the popular Jamaican brew known as ginger 
 beer. It was logically a short hop mentally for Hammond to name the 
 young man Ginjah. This is Valentine Nakrumah Fraser, an artiste called Ginjah, Mr Beres Hammond  gave the name to me," Ginjah said, adding that he is representing black liberation, black consciousness, and the teachings of Haile Selassie I. Having been invited to be a part of Hammond's Harmony House label, Ginjah began recording in 2000. 
 And by 2001, he was on a tour opening for Beres Hammond several shows stretching across the  major Caribbean cities, leaving behind a trail of satisfied patrons begging for more. "It was never an  easy task opening for a musical icon like Beres Hammond," Ginjah admitted. Added he: "But I went out there and did my best and met the challenge with full force." As expected, with good work, comes more work. So Ginjah went on touring with Beres Hammond throughout the world, inclusive of places like Europe, Canada, the United States and Japan. 

promo DL Link : SoulJah by GinJah

For the past two years, Ginjah, now with I Land Music, has stepped out on his own. "I'm doing my own thing right now," he said before adding: "I'm with I Land Music from 2004. Right now I have a song out 
 called Music Alone that's getting a lot of rotation, I've a video and an album to come soon." He explained that he is now in the process of promoting the song (Music Alone), to pave the way for his forthcoming 
 album of the same name. "You have a lot of albums that get lost in the mix, and this is a wonderful album, so we do not want this album to get lost in the mix. So we're promoting Music Alone to the fullest right now," Ginjah stated. He said that since leaving Beres Hammond, he has done over 30 songs. "I'm recording a lot. I've done songs like Thieves Says, Responsibilities - I've done that for Harmony House, also War In The City, Rise Above, Manners, and Go Thy Way. Right now, it's just making more music, more conscious music," enthused the artiste who has just been back from Europe, where he did a three-week tour of 
 Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This was Ginjah's first solo tour which he described as a great 
 experience. "This was the first time I was doing my own thing abroad," he said while adding: " The first 
 show that I did was in Berlin, and that just set the stage for the rest of the tour. The shows them went 
 down well, very well. You dun know Ginjah good for everything," he bragged.