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Anthony B (aka Keith Blair) is the personification
of African consciousness in Reggae. His single "Nah
vote again" was a major factor in making the Jamaican
elections of Thursday, December 18, 1997, the most peaceful
one since gun violence was introduced in West and Central
KINGSTON, prior to the elections of 1967. Like his hero,
Peter Tosh, the most revolutionary of the Wailing Wailers,
he is an uncompromising Pan Africanist, in the tradition
of Marcus Garvey, Jamaica's first national hero and the
founder and leader of the largest African organization
ever, the Universal Negro Improvement Association and
African Communities League, U.N.I.A. and A.C.L.
The traditional route of most African singers is via
the church and Anthony B is no exception. Growing up
in Clarks Town in the parish of Trelawny , his Revivalist
grandmother and Seventh Day Adventist mother, immersed
him in the singing, call and response and clapping mechanics
of rural Jamaica. In this rural environment that African
culture is best found and preserved in Jamaica, not
KINGSTON nor urban St. Andrew. Like Bob Marley, Peter
Tosh, The Maytals, Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Twinkle Brothers, the Clarendonians and countless other
Jamaican Stars, Anthony B honed his vocal skills in
the church and school choirs and then entered the secular
world. His deejaying debut was on the local sound system
Shaggy Hi-Power. Moving to Portmore in the parish of
St. Catharine in 1988, the musically keen teen hooked
up with other aspiring teenage deejays, Determine, Mega
Banton, Ricky General and Terror Fabulous on Lovers
Choice Sound. Other Portmore acts that he knew or flexed
with were Little Devon, Agony Polish, Cobra, Baby Wayne,
Grindsman, Ronnie Thwaites, Professor Nuts and others.
He steadfastly refused to deejay girl lyrics when they
were ruling the roost in the early nineties.
Together with Little Devon (the Half Pint sound-a-like
singer) he made his debut single "The living is
hard" in 1993. Anthony B tried King Jammys, Black
Scorpio and other studio producers after but none saw
fit to help plant musical corn of the budding genius.
Undeterred he was looking for a break at Black Scorpio
studio one day when Little Devon introduced him to Afrocentric
producer of Garnett "Mama Africa" Silk fame,
Richard "Bello" Bell of Star Trail Label fame.
The rest is history or blackstory !
Recordings and releases followed quickly and his first
hit was "Repentance time". The bigger hits
"Fire pon Rome", "Rumour" and "Raid
di barn" followed in quick pursuit and his landmark
debut album Real Revolutionary was released to popular
acclaim in 1996. Late 1997 his second worldwide album
"Universal Struggle" was released and again
excellence consisted. The album is one of the best in
Reggae for 1997 and 1998. |
