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ANTHONY B
SNWMF
1998 - Photo by
Mark Siebert
Draped in the rich colors of African cloth,
his trademark staff in hand, and his dreadlocks wrapped regally
on his head, Anthony B embodies all that it is spiritual and
proactive about Reggae music. This artist has been steadfast in
his mission to represent the poor and oppressed, using sharp
lyrics to confront political injustices and bring the issues of
the people to the forefront. In the process, he has raised the
quality of performance standards and lyrical content for the
industry, through the release of 10 albums, over 1000 singles
and appearances on over 100 albums in the last 13 years.
Anthony B’s musical journey started in the church, back when he
was still called Keith Anthony Blair in Clark’s Town, Trelawney.
Here he was immersed in the thunderous chants and rhythms of
Revivalism and the Seventh Day Adventist church where he honed
his signature vocals. In his formative years, the artist also
cleaved to the music of Otis Redding and the incomparable Peter
Tosh.
In 1992, Anthony B left his hometown and set out to make his
mark on Kingston’s music scene. He rebuked the trend of girl and
gun lyrics popular at that time and remained faithful to words
of spiritual consciousness and social conviction. He started
working with singer Little Devon, who introduced him to Richard
“Bell” Bello, of Star Trail Records, producer for Garnet Silk
and Everton Blender. Bell saw the talent of the youngster and
shared his commitment to conscious music. The partnership
produced a slew of hits such as "Repentance Time", "Fire Pon
Rome", “One Thing”, and "Raid di Barn”. Anthony B followed up
with critically acclaimed albums such as So Many Things,
Universal Struggle, Seven Seals, That’s Life, Street Knowledge ,
Black Star, My Hope, Justice Fight, Untouchable, Suffering Man
and Higher Meditation. He also struck out on his own to produce
3 albums independently, started his own label, Born Fire
Records, and released two collaboration albums Too Strong with
Sizzla and Three Wise Men with Sizzla and Luciano.
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Anthony B’s lyrical genius and captivating, energetic
performance style have led to be heavy requests for performances
in the Caribbean, North America, Europe and Africa. In 2003 and
2004, he was given a king’s welcome in Gambia and Senegal. In
2004, he sold out shows in Switzerland, Austria, Sweden,
Belgium, France, Italy and Germany, closing for such greats as
Israel Vibration and Burning Spear. He also opened up new
regions for reggae music through his performances in New Delhi,
India and on France’s Reunion Island, in the Indian Ocean. The
live DVD and CD, Live on the Battlefield, captures the essence
of his early performances. This past year he performed for the
first time in Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina and is
slated for dates in Venezuela and Peru in early ’08.
His heavy touring schedule has not slowed Anthony B’s stream of
releases. Over the years, he has collaborated with Bone Crusher,
Akon, Wyclef Jean, Snoop Dogg and R. Kelly.
Anthony B’s rich vocals and audacious lyrics carry a depth and
substance, which is rare in the industry. Internationally, his
fan-base has grown because he speaks about the universal
concerns of suffering and salvation. “The greatest thing about
reggae music is that it’s about concepts and ideas,” says the
artist, “you are speaking to people on issues they live and can
relate to.”
Anthony B’s latest hit singles include Tease Her, Territory,
Satisfaction and Bad From Long Time. Anthony B continues to
speak, as he proves himself to be one of Reggae’s most prolific
and engaging artists. He is an electrifying performer whose
music grips the public social conscience.
Anthony B
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