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From
Kingston's August Town, Duane
Stephenson is more than just a
reggae singer. His work exhibits
the versatility of many of
music's greatest artists in the
pop realm; mixing lyrics that
address social ills, romance and
global issues with unique
phrasing, potent hooks and
melodic changes – all delivered
in an extremely nimble tenor
that wakes the soul.
A recent collaboration is an
uptempo, inspiring ballad,
“Better Tomorrow” written with
Jamaican mega-producer Handel
Tucker whose hits include those
for Maxi Priest, Diana King,
Patra, Shaggy and The Fugees.
This is a fine-tuned,
multi-faceted gemstone with a
soothing melody, soaring chord
changes and lush vocal
arrangements that echo African
song structure and a forceful
hook that reminds us "Better
Days will come one day" with the
punchline: "for the show is
never done, til' the final songs
been sung."
An
accompanying video is directed
by Ras Kassa the Guru whose
credits include acclaimed work
with Damian Marley, Sean Paul,
Richie Spice & Gyptian. The
illustrative lyrical
storytelling of Duane Stephenson
provides fertile ground for Ras
Kassa's forward-thinking, unique
gift in crafting scenes that
illustrate the trials
individuals face in life.
As it relates to the current
conditions that people face
globally Duane explains, "To Me
'Better Tomorrow' is relevant
especially coming out of the
year that we had last year, and
this year hasn't started much
better. If you tend to reflect
on what is happening in Japan,
New Zealand, all of these
places, The last thing we need
is somebody reminding us how bad
things are. It is just another
step in the healing process."
Duane Stephenson's album BLACK
GOLD (released in September
2010) held the #1 position for
three weeks and has remained in
the top ten on the Jamaica Music
Countdown chart for months. The
album's first single, "Rescue
Me" a collaboration with Gramps
Morgan has been in the top ten
on reggae charts globally
reaching the #1 spot throughout
2011.
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These songs are written with
originality and profound
intention as Duane explains,
"When we do an album, we do
music that people can relate to
because any situation you find
yourself in, chances are someone
else has found themselves in
that situation. It is real life
situations...so the real life
emotions come out, that is how
it is."
His debut recording, FROM AUGUST
TOWN released on Cannon/VP
Records and produced by reggae
maestro and saxophonist Dean
Fraser was heralded by Billboard
magazine as one of six albums,
"collectively galvanizing a
roots reggae revival."
Pitchfork.com cited the album as
"undoubtedly a highlight of not
just 2008, but perhaps the past
few years."
Dean Fraser collaborated on
BLACK GOLD as a producer,
creating ample content that
exemplifies his legendary career
as a saxophonist, music director
and producer with credits on
over 1,000 albums and thousands
of tour hours logged. Duane
began working with Dean as a
solo artist after 10 years as a
leader of the group To-Isis.
Duane Stephenson's work as a
songwriter for other artists is
also part of his collaboration
experience, compositions for
Tarrus Riley, Luciano, Jah Cure
are also part of his repertoire.
The album's current single,
"Sufferer's Heights" brings up
reggae's most honest cultural
tones, issues of social justice
and "real talk" as Duane's
stunning voice, with it's rich
tone and diverse range is
supported by multi-octave choral
vocals, rising to new levels of
consciousness, urging us to take
stock in what we have and
respect the needs of the
under-served. His lyrics ask:
"Don't have a thing to give to
the poor, you got a little, but
you still want more. You say it
can't get no worse? In a
sufferer's heights, poor people
go to bed with no shelter, them
can't find no love." And the
illustrative, "dem can't get no
dinner, and pure old clothes
they dress up inna."
Duane wrote “A Step for Mankind”
with The Wailers to benefit the
United Nations World Food
Programme. The track has become
the anthem for global hunger
eradication and is featured on
Oniric Records' Solutions for
Dreamers: Season 3 which
directly benefits the World Food
Programme (WFP), the song is a
call to action for everyone to
stand up against hunger and
truly help mankind take a step
in the right direction. His
work with the WFP continues
through direct advocacy,
awareness and outreach on the
WFP fundraising site
WeFeedback.com and as part of
live concert performances, where
funds are gathered and benefit
directly to World Food Programme
efforts in Ethiopia.
Listen to Duane Stephenson's Music
Duane
Stephenson Links:
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